“I delight to do Your will, O my God” — Psalm 40:8

In a prophetic dream, I saw a crowded emergency room. Doctors, nurses, and other medical technicians were gathered around a patient who lay stretched out and motionless on a hospital bed. Suddenly, one of the nurses called out in a panicky voice,“His heart is still weak and irregular. He’s not responding. We’re losing him doctor … he’s not responding!” One of the doctors quickly answered, “Everyone prepare, we need to do it again.”With that, they prepared the charge on a defibrillator, warned everyone to be ready by shouting, “Clear!” and then placed the paddles on the lifeless patient’s chest. With a loud “ka-chunk,” the patient’s body shuttered. Soon, the sound of a weak, but fairly regular, heartbeat could be heard coming from the monitor. As the dream was ending, I heard the head doctor say to the staff, “Good work. Monitor him carefully, but I think we’re out of the woods. After he’s stable, we’ll need to fully evaluate him to what damage resulted from his heart not responding for so long.”

Then, I heard the voice of the Lord declare, “It is only those who respond quickly whose lives can be fully enlivened by Me. Their response to My will, My Word, and My ways brings a vitality to their spiritual walk that others do not have. Their walk with Me will be smoother, stronger, and sweeter because they have chosen to walk so closely with Me … not letting anything get between us. In them, I truly delight.”

The Heart of a First Responder
God is calling us to have the heart of a first responder. First responders are those who respond quickly to every command, every request of the Lord. They do not wait to be given an order. First responders are looking and listening for anything they can do that would please the Lord. They have a willingness to respond to everything He would even hint at. For them, hearing and heeding the Lord’s instruction is not a dreary duty — it’s a delight.

The Word of God clearly shows King David to have the heart of a “first responder.” In Psalm 40, he declared, “I delight to do Your will, O my God.” No wonder God said of David, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will” (Acts 13:22).

God’s heart is still looking for those like David, and He has promised that their walk will be smoother, stronger, and sweeter! The walk of a first responder will be smoother because they walk in obedience. They will not allow any delay in obedience or “partial obedience” to separate them from the Lord or miss the opportunities He has for them. They don’t wander off the perfect path God has for them, for their quick response keeps them ever in the center of His will.

The walk of a first responder will be stronger because they walk in authority. Those who can be trusted to respond will be entrusted with more. As Jesus said twice in Matthew 25, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things” (verses 21 & 23).

The walk of a first responder will be sweeter because they walk in companionship with God. Those who respond to His leading as they spend time in prayer and worship will never be asked to wait in the outer courts. They have been invited into the throne-room of God, for He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (see Hebrews 11:6).

Lord, help us to heed Your call to be first responders. We want our walk to be smoother, stronger, and sweeter. Help us to be more like David — a people after Your own heart who delight not only to know Your will, Your Word, and Your ways but who respond to Your every wish and slightest desire. Amen.