If you've been around Alaska for any period of time, it's likely you've heard stories of impossible situations where someone boldly stepped up to act and prevented almost certain fateful outcomes. What you'll often notice is a consistent theme of people who weren't fully equipped for the challenge in front of them, yet they believed they were the ones to take action. In fact, today is Veteran’s Day, and we’re thankful for how those men and women have boldly and bravely said yes to serving our country – often without fully knowing what they were stepping into.

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Have you ever found yourself in a tough situation with the opportunity to do something, but you didn't feel properly equipped? Maybe this was a perilous situation where someone needed to step up to the plate and take action, but you felt ill-prepared to be the one. I know firsthand how easy it is to look around and wonder who else should handle the challenging situation at hand; surely someone else must be better suited. But what if the more important factors in those instances were actually opportunity and willingness? Could we step into challenging situations in difficult places to make an impact? Not because we are adequate ourselves, but because we understand what is truly required of us and what is not.

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n today's Scripture, we see Isaiah boldly stepping forward with his “yes.” Isaiah was not willing because he felt adequate. In fact, the previous verses indicate how unsuited he felt for the situation. On his own, Isaiah would be destined for certain failures. Yet, there is something, someone far greater at work. You see, Isaiah's nearness to God enabled him to understand how perfectly adequate God is for whatever comes next. He had understood that God’s sufficiency covered what he lacked. Isaiah knew what he brought to the table and what God brought.  

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I will be the first to admit wanting to feel fully prepared on my own before stepping up to the plate. It's tempting to want to have everything figured out before moving, yet where is the room for God in that? You see, ultimately, God wants our willingness that says, "God, I trust you". Sometimes the hardest part of that is actually surrendering the expectations and outcomes, but there is peace in trusting that God's goodness and sovereignty reign over it all. He is in control, working all things together for good and redeeming what we might see as failure. Here's the thing, if God isn't big enough for what lies in front of us, nothing nor anyone is going to be. If the Creator of the heavens and the Earth can’t handle it, what makes us think we can?

So, what if we pre-decided that God has our yes, no matter the ask, and that we will trust him even when the outcome is far from what we hoped or expected. Isaiah trusted that because he knew who God was; the only answer was to accept God's invitation. We all have a step of growth we can take today.

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Where do you need to grow closer in proximity to God? So you can know his nature, hear his voice, and rest assured that he knows what's best.

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Maybe it’s surrendering an outcome or expectation to the Lord and trusting that his plans are good. In the midst of the unknown, feeling ill-equipped, or discomfort, he will grow you.

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Today might be the day to stop looking around at who else might be better suited to share the gospel with that friend, pray with your co-worker, or lead a small group. "Here I am, Send me!"