Thursday, October 26, 2017

God, You Want Me to Do What?

I AM WHO I AM
Who Is the I AM Who I Am?
Exodus 2:23-3:15

After moving his family to Egypt during a severe famine and being reunited with his son Joseph, Jacob's large family grew even more so. In fact, over a period of 430 years, Jacob's family grew into a nation. They became a nation within a nation. However, once the life-saving deeds of Joseph were forgotten, the Israelites became slaves to the Egyptians and were severely abused. God heard their groans and remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob (vs. 2:24).

This brings us to Moses and the burning bush. Understandably, Moses struggled with his ordination ceremony on that holy ground where he was commissioned to save a nation. Moses could only see the reasons why he couldn't lead the Israelites. He couldn't see how his life experiences were beneficial to God's cause (vs. 3:11).

God's proclamation of I AM WHO I AM was a powerful declaration of His character and His attributes. Moses had to come to the realization it wasn't important who he was or what he lacked. He needed to choose to trust the I AM WHO I AM, the One who was more than capable and would be with him throughout the journey (vs. 3:12-14).

God is still the I AM WHO I AM. We call Him Jesus (see John 8:58). Are you struggling with those things He has called you to do? Do your insecurities hold you back? Good news. You too can choose to trust Him. Our Lord isn't in the business of setting you up so you can fail. If He calls you, He will equip you and will capably walk with you every step of the way.

Jesus, You truly are the I AM WHO I AM. It has nothing to do with our inabilities but it has everything to do with Your capabilities. It has everything to do with who You are. Draw us closer to You so that we can intimately know You as the I AM WHO I AM. The more we learn of Your character and attributes, the easier it will be to trust you. In Your powerful name, Amen.


Personal Application:
There were a few times in my life when God called me to do something specific where my response to Him was, "Say what?" Yeah, sort of like Moses' response of "Who, me?" When I was a single twenty-three year old young lady, He called me to teach a Sunday School class of twelve high-energy 14 year old boys. "Say what? Who, me?" After Mike and I had been married for almost two years, He called us to move away from my family and friends in beautiful San Diego, CA to landlocked Omaha, NE. "Say what? Who, me?" Right now He's called our church, Omaha Christian Center, to minister to some fairly crazy and wild children. About 90% of the children don't have a church background. On more than one Wednesday night I (along with the rest of the team) have cried out, "Say what? Who, me?" It has been one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life.

And yet, in every circumstance, God equipped me to do what I never thought I could do. Like Moses, He has never failed me. Not once. Whenever I focus on His capabilities instead of my inabilities, I find myself doing the impossible. (Right now, in this moment, I so needed to remind myself of that. My insecurities have been raising their ugly heads.) I'm thankful the I AM WHO I AM wants to be an integral part of my life and what He has called me to do. I can't do it without Him, and frankly, don't want to do it without Him.


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