Isaiah 58:8-9a Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. 9a Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
When we hear the word Hineini—”Here I am,” many of us immediately think of the prophet Isaiah in chapter 6, standing before the throne of God, overwhelmed by His holiness. After being cleansed by the burning coal, Isaiah hears the Lord ask, “Whom shall I send?” and responds with the now-famous phrase: “Hineini—Here am I. Send me.”
It’s a powerful moment of surrender and commissioning. But what’s easy to miss is that God Himself also uses this same word in Isaiah 58:9: “Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: ‘Hineini.'”
Selah — Think about that.
We usually think of Hineini as our response to God: “Here I am, send me.” It speaks of readiness, obedience, and surrender—and it is. But in this passage, we see something even more stunning—God says it first.
The God of the universe answers the cries of His people not just with action, but with His presence. He says, “Hineini”—“Here I am.”
When God called Abraham to lay his beloved son on the altar, Abraham didn’t hesitate—he answered, “Hineini.” (Genesis 22:1) When God called Moses from the burning bush to confront Pharaoh and deliver a nation, Moses stood barefoot on holy ground and said, “Hineini.” (Exodus 3:4) When God’s voice thundered through the heavens in Isaiah’s vision, the prophet stepped forward and declared, “Hineini, send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)
But in Isaiah 58, the pattern is reversed. God says to a repentant, humbled nation: “Hineini.” He’s not just summoning us to come near—He is declaring that He already has.
He’s not far off. He’s not waiting for us to earn our way through ritual or religious perfection. He’s watching. He’s waiting. He longs for people who will humble themselves, not just with words but with their whole heart. To a repentant people, God doesn’t just answer prayers—He shows up. Not through an intermediary. Not from a distance. He steps in and says, “Hineini.” I’m here. I’m near. I’m with you.
Ultimately, we see Hineini in Yeshua (Jesus), who knocks at the door of every heart. In the Hebrew New Testament, Revelation 3:20 begins with this very word—Hineni—”Here am I, I stand at the door and knock…” This is a clear echo of God’s continual desire to be present, personal, and available to all who will open to Him.
So yes, let’s be like Isaiah and say, “Hineini–Here am I, Lord, send me.” But let’s never forget–we can say it because God said it first.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.
How to display the above article within the Worthy Suite WordPress Plugin.
[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]In these days, we have to pray for wisdom! In the letter of James, the Lord’s brother, he writes, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all liberally…” [James 1:5] The context for this request is trials! Since this is a time of almost constant trials, God knows we need His wisdom, more than ever.
Throughout the Bible, the faith of the saints was never something passive — but rather a faith of action.
Much of the world is dealing with the greatest disruption of their lives… probably in their lifetimes, particularly in the West, and what is known as the “First World”. Here’s a helpful perspective toward understanding what is taking place.
Continuing our exciting account of the Moravian Revival, I have to highlight the minuscule quantity of saints involved. This was, in proportion to its astounding effect, a very small group, a little church. Yet the amazing demonstration of God’s principle of power through unity re-echoes the events at Pentecost when 120 believers also were in profound unity waiting on the Lord. It wasn’t the numbers but the removal of contention and division that paved the way for a 100-year revival.
The Moravian revival, our current subject, began in the little community of Herrnhut on August 13, 1727, with a tremendous outpouring of the Holy Spirit likened to that of Acts 2. It was a work of God that would transform this group of splintered Christian settlers into a unified missionary endeavor committed to reaching the unsaved around the world.
It never ceases to amaze me how our little girl, Elianna is growing and developing. I remember when she first came into this world, she was so helpless and frail — she couldn’t even move her head without our help. Now, just having turned two, she’s running around and tumbling, jumping, singing and dancing!
We found an interesting story in an old copy of “Our Daily Bread”: In 1883 in Allentown, New Jersey, a wooden Indian — the kind that was seen in front of cigar stores — was placed on the ballot for Justice of the Peace. The candidate was registered under the fictitious name of Abner Robbins. When the ballots were counted, Abner won over incumbent Sam Davis by 7 votes. A similar thing happened in 1938. The name Boston Curtis appeared on the ballot for Republican Committeeman from Wilton, Washington. Actually, Boston Curtis was a mule. The town’s mayor sponsored the animal to demonstrate that people know very little about the candidates. He proved his point. The mule won!