I AM

Growing up in church, I have heard many different explanations of what God meant in Exodus 3:14 when He told Moses that His name was, "I AM." I've heard that such a name describes His timelessness, that no matter where we are in time, He is I AM. I've heard that this name is simply a testimony to His awesome existence, a declaration that He is. And I'm sure I've heard a marvelous explanation derived from the actual meaning of the Hebrew word for "I AM". I love to think on and process each of those possibilities, but the other day, I was struck with a new possibility for the meaning of "I AM." Could it be that God was offering a comfort to His people? An assurance that everything we are not, He is? He gives this name in the middle of Moses' protests that he is not capable of leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Was He trying to tell Moses, "No, you're not, but I AM"? If so, what does that look like in our own lives? As we protest with, "God, I'm not ______ (fill in the blank)", is He answering with those simple words, the definition of Himself, "I AM"?

"God, I'm not strong." "I AM."
"God, I'm not holy." "I AM."
"God, I'm not courageous." "I AM."
"God, I'm not worthy." "I AM."
"God, I'm not patient." "I AM."
"God, I'm not wise." "I AM."
"God, I'm not beautiful." "I AM."
"God, I'm not perfect." "I AM."
"God, I'm not joyful." "I AM."
"God, I'm not enough." "I AM."
"God, I'm not gentle." "I AM."
"God, I'm not confident." "I AM."
"God, I'm not adequate." "I AM."
"God, I'm not sure." "I AM."
"God, I'm not faithful." "I AM."

...and so the list goes on and on. Everything we are not, He is. In our weakness, His strength is made perfect. He steps into every void, He fills every crack. And then He takes it one step farther--He clothes us with Himself that we might be those things, too. He makes us beautiful and perfect and adequate and confident...He is so very good to us.

So the next time you find yourself crying out, "God, I'm not ______!!!", may you hear His still, small voice whispering, "I AM."