The Great I Am
ICS Daily Devotions
Proverbs 3:5-7 (NJKV) Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
Moses was raised and called to carry out God’s will. He was going against the most powerful army of his time and had to trust in God to deliver the people of Israel out of Egypt from the hands of Pharoah. God told Moses that I AM had sent him.
This name of God, “I AM,” is a form of the verb “to be” in Hebrew. It expresses God’s self-existence and unchanging nature. He transcends the past, the present, and the future; He has always been, He is, and He will always be.
The great I AM is the inexhaustible God, possessing divine sufficiency. There is endless abundance to meet any circumstances, challenges, demands, and surprises from unforeseen circumstances. This is the assurance that God was giving to Moses—that the great I AM was sending him to deliver the Israelites out of Egypt. What an all-encompassing name found in the great I AM!
I AM was revealed when God showed forth the ten plagues, parted the Red Sea, and helped them escape Pharoah’s army. He caused water to flow out of the rock, manna to fall from the sky, and gave quails for meals. They experienced healing while looking up at the bronze serpent. God protected them, provided for them, guided them, and fought for them. There were no other gods capable of withstanding the deliverance of the Lord! God was everything to all that the Israelites needed. Can you imagine having the Great I AM as your planner and backer of your life?
Many people take pride in being self-made due to their achievements. They have successfully carved out a name for themselves in their industries, whether in medicine, technology, finance, politics, education, arts, or engineering. Nevertheless, it remains just one facet of a broad spectrum of expertise. Also, nobody can heal themselves, save themselves from God’s judgement, extend their lives, rescue their marriages, or protect their children from sickness and calamity. We may be self-made in one aspect of our lives, but we can fail in numerous others. We do not exist independently but rely on one another’s expertise. We are not omnipotent, omnipresent, or omniscient. We are finite beings, whereas God remains present and self-existent even when everything on earth has passed away.
Some people may continue to deny that there is no God until they enter eternity, while others might do so when they reach their own limits. Only fools profess in their hearts that God does not exist! Therefore, when you come to the end of yourselves, be wise and return to the great I AM!
Only God exists in eternity; He is self-existent, self-sufficient, and He is everything. He is the great I AM. God exists whether mankind chooses to believe or reject Him because the opinion of men does not change the very existence of God.
Sermon Series: Wise Saying
