An Invitation to Adventure
In David’s sermon last Sunday, it struck me that Isaiah was taken on quite an adventure by God. He encountered strange creatures, faced his own inadequacy, and was guided by One of great wisdom and power. Naturally, my mind went to a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins.
In The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, Bilbo lives a quiet, comfortable life with no interest in adventure. That changes when a visitor arrives with an unexpected invitation: “I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it’s very difficult to find anyone.”
Bilbo, unaware that Gandalf is a powerful wizard, responds honestly. “We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!”
He loves his books, his tea, and his predictable life. Still, he chooses to go. That single yes pulls him far from comfort, across dangerous terrain, into fellowship with strangers, and the fight against evil, then ultimately to the lair of a dragon.
Gandalf is a Christ-like figure in this scene, offering a picture of God’s call to discipleship even as we resist it. He is not looking for the strongest or bravest. He is looking for someone ordinary who can be invited into a bigger story.
That same pattern appears in Isaiah 6. God does not ask Isaiah if he is qualified. He addresses his fear of not being worthy, prepares him, and then asks, “Whom shall I send?” Isaiah does not know what adventure lies ahead. He only knows who is with him. So he can answer, “Here am I. Send me.”
God’s kingdom moves forward not because people feel ready, but because they are willing. Jesus does not ask us to be heroic on our own. He invites us into the adventure and walks it with us. The calling is not about boldness. It is about saying yes and trusting that transformation happens along the way.
Willingness comes first. Transformation follows.
Bilbo’s story is closer to ours than we might like to admit, even without those large, hairy hobbit feet. Like him, we prefer our comforts; what is familiar and easy. We hesitate to leave what feels safe.
Our choices matter, more than we usually realize. Just as Bilbo’s actions shaped the fate of Middle-earth, our willingness plays a role in God’s work in this world. Throughout The Hobbit, Bilbo repeatedly chooses others over himself and grows into the servant hero. Because he was able to let go of the comforts he treasured early on, he later has the courage to resist the dragon’s treasure when others cannot.
The Lord comes to us each day with the same quiet invitation to walk with Him on a journey that may lead across dangerous terrain, into fellowship with strangers, and even into battles we never expected. The question is not whether we feel ready. The question is whether we are willing to go.
And like Bilbo, each time we can say, “I think I’m quite ready for another adventure.”
Reflection Questions:
• Where in your life are you most attached to comfort, routine, or predictability right now?
• What small step of willingness could you take this week, trusting that God will walk with you?
• What is one simple way you could say, “Here I am,” in your everyday life today?
