HINENI
ACTIVE AVAILABILITY
BENJAMIN JUSTER
We are entering the month Elul , the month preceding the High Holidays of Yom Teruah ( Day of Trumpets ), Yom Kippur ( Day of Atonement ) and Sukkot ( Festival of Booths ). It is a month of preparation and introspection , and an annual opportunity to intentionally increase one ’ s focus to nurture intimacy with Adonai .
In Jewish tradition , the letters of Elul have been connected to the Hebrew phrase from Song of Songs 6:3 , “ I am my beloved , and my beloved is mine ,” referencing our personal relationship with our Heavenly Father . It is encouraged to read Psalm 27 every day of the month . Central to the passage is the commitment to seek Adonai ’ s Presence . ( 27:8 )
Inherent in seeking Abba ’ s face , there should be an accompanying desire to please Him and follow His lead — to cry out “ Hineni !.” “ Hineni ” means more than “ I ’ m here ” or to be physically present . It is a state of readiness and active availability to accommodate the requests or desires of the Father . What follows is a posture of surrender , where I give up my agenda and my plans in humble subjection to the Father .
Abraham had to be willing to give up his precious son of promise . This was the crucial key to unlock the destiny of his calling to be a “ father of many nations ” and blessing to the whole world . What are some things we need to give up as we pursue a life of complete surrender to God ?
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