This is my theme for 2012. When the children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt, they cried out to God, and He heard them. He sent Moses. Later, when the Midianites held His children captive, he sent Gideon. When Saul was blinded and praying for what to do next, God sent Ananias. When the world was lost to our Heavenly Father, He sent Jesus Christ.

When people are hurting, be it financially, physically, mentally, or spiritually, God needs someone to send. My prayer to God is this, “Let me be the one.”

^NIV Isaiah 6:8

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

How many times have we been in a situation where we are the ones who have great need, and it is we who are crying out to God to help us? But what if we had such an abundance in every category of life that we could be the one to reach out, and meet the needs of others. It is possible.

2 Corinthians 9:8

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

So, how do we get to that point of having so much that we have all sufficiency in all things? Let’s look first at why we work. The Lord Jesus had something to say about that, and we should pay attention to what he said.

^NIV John 6:27

Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."

So I am not to work for food that spoils? I guess that includes everything that gets put on the table. And if that contradicts what we believe, we have a choice. We can change our thinking, or we can reject what God says. I would not recommend the latter.

^ASV Ephesians 4:28

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have whereof to give to him that hath need.

This idea, “Let me be the one,” permeated the earthly walk of our Lord Jesus. He fed crowds of thousands, healed the sick and raised the dead, he cast out devils, and he shared the Word of God. He introduced the people to a totally new concept—that God is our Father. He was the very image of the invisible God—God’s image bearer to the people. And now, so are we. God has no hands but our hands, no feet but our feet, and no mouth but our mouth. So when someone is crying out for answers, we can be like Phillip, and run to bring them an answer.

^ASV Acts 8:31

And he said, How can I, except some one shall guide me? And he besought Philip to come up and sit with him.

We can be like Peter, and speak the Word of God to someone in need of healing.

^ASV Acts 9:34

And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ healeth thee: arise and make thy bed. And straightway he arose.

When we are focused on our own needs, this kind of lifestyle is next to impossible. We have so much to give! Not only with money, but time, a kind word, or a hug. We have God’s Word to share, and healing and deliverance for people who are in bondage. We have talents and abilities that God has entrusted us with to bless people with. And as we give, God will keep pouring it in to us, so we will never go without.

^ASV Luke 6:38

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall they give into your bosom. For with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again.