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The Majesty of the Great I Am

“God said to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” (Exodus 3:14) have to admit that I eat too much junk food. It seems that I’m always on the go. Here, there and everywhere. It’s just easier to stop in my favorite fast-food place and grab something for the road. A burger here; a hot dog there; chicken sandwiches, french-fries. Junk, junk, junk. I know I shouldn’t eat as much of it as I do, but it usually tastes good; it’s cheap; and it’s quick.

Of course when you get to the drive through window, you’re always asked that famous question: “Would you like it Super-sized?” As if a regular sized meal of whatever you’re eating isn’t unhealthy enough, they have to ask you whether you want an even larger portion of the cholesterol nightmare.

Let’s face it. In today’s World, we all have issues and problems. We all have situations in our lives that seem beyond hope. Situations or issues in which we’ve reached a dead end and done all we know to do. It’s usually at that point, our most desperate point, that we reach out. We reach out to a God that, perhaps, we’ve ignored to this point. We know we need to reach out to God, but usually don’t until we’re at a point of no return. We need something to happen. We need God to act. We need a miracle now!! If we were at the drive through window ordering what we needed from God, our order wouldn’t be the regular portion, it would be Super-Sized. We want all we can get from our Heavenly Father and we want it sooner than later.

When I reach those times in my life when I need a Super-Sized portion of God in my life, I remind myself of the majesty of God and the enormity of God. I remind myself of what Moses discovered when God spoke two simple words to Moses. Those two words were “I Am.”

God didn’t say, “I Was” although He has always been. He didn’t say “I Will” although He will always be with us. He said, “I Am.” Why?”

He’s “I Am” because it encompasses everything. “I AM” the comforter. “I AM” the healer. “I AM” the relationship builder. “I AM” the mender of finances. “I AM” the director of careers. “I AM” the answer to important decisions.

He is the Great “I AM.” Don’t worry about trying to order up a Super-Sized God. He’s already all that you need and enough for any situation.

Courage Thoughts for Today:

What are you worrying about that you need to turn over to God?
What do you need God to act on today, this week, or this month?
Are you trusting that God will be enough, or second guessing His ability to help you?

Our Decision To Be or Not To Be

Self-Worth

I have to admit it—I love keeping “to-do” lists. I make lists to go shopping. I make lists of tasks for goals I want to achieve. I even have an electronic “to-do” list software program that helps me organize and plan my daily work tasks and keep track of deadlines. There is something about having a list and knowing that I have captured everything I need to do that keeps my stress at a minimal level. When I go through the day and think that I have forgotten something, I become more stressed. The list gives me a system to avoid forgetting things. I know others, however, who when they keep lists it has the opposite effect and stresses them more because it continually reminds them of what they need to do or what they have not done. Obviously, each of us is different and we have to find out what works for us.

As I was sitting here today, I was reminded of our mission in life as Christians. We are charged to be the salt of the earth and be the light of the earth. Our mission is to stand tall and live our lives in such a manner that others would be drawn to Him. God should never be a secret in our lives to the point that we’re afraid to display to others.

How different would my Christian Life or Christian Testimony become if I simply replaced my “To-Do” List with a “To-Be” List? How much stronger would my testimony be if I worked harder on becoming more in Christ, rather than simply doing all the time. As you examine your own life, I wanted to list some “To-Be’s” that God brought to my own heart as he challenges me to be more:

To Be more like God and realize that without Him, I am nothing. When there is less of me, there is more of Him. The point of my greatest weakness actually becomes the time of my greatest strength because, at that moment, I move out of the way and allow God to take charge.
To Be content with who I am and what God has done in my life, realizing that when I do, I suddenly realize the importance of the things that simply can’t be bought such as family, friends, and relationships.
To Be hungry for God and His Word and build up an appetitite for learning and teaching; understanding the richness and wisdom of His Word and creating a greater desire to follow in His steps.
To Be more caring for others and to show true compassion; having a true servant’s heart and attempting to use my God-given gifts and abilities for the benefit of others.
To Be mindful of my priorities and my relationship with God so that He can enable me to do more for Him. Understanding that the World’s priorities are not necessarily God’s priorities for my life.
To Be strong in my commitment to Him, despite any persecution I may receive , and to carry on no matter the obstacles. This will only drive me closer in my relationship with Him.

As you look at your daily “To-Do” list, why not add a couple of “To-Be’s” as well? Let’s all spend more time being instead of doing and get excited about what God will do in our lives and the lives of others.

He Can Guide Us Over The Mountains

Faith

I have to admit that I’m not much of an adventurer or outdoorsman ,although I do like to enjoy outdoor activities. I like to camp and fish occasionally, especially when I was younger. Now, it seems that I just don’t have the time or make the time to relax as much as I should. I suppose we’re all caught up in our daily lives and the ongoing hustle and bustle. It’s no wonder that most of us are too stressed out for our own good.

I remember many, many years ago I had the opportunity as a teenager to go with some friends of mine on a mountain climbing adventure. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking Mt. Everest here. Just some small, North Georgia Mountains that would be plenty challenging enough for me and my friends. We were excited because it wasn’t something we normally did a lot of—mountain climbing that is. But, we were also nervous because we didn’t know anything about it. My imagination went wild. What if our ropes broke? What if we fell off the edge of the mountain? What if we ran into bears? What if we got snake-bit? What if there was an avalanche of rocks that hurt us? What if we got separated and some of us got lost in the wilderness? On and on and on, my thoughts ran wild to the point that I was ready to go home before we started.

Despite all the anxiety, we arrived at our location to begin our great excursion. The good news was that we were going to have a local climber go with us; someone who knew the terrain and knew where to go and what to look out for. Before we started the hike and climb, our guide explained how he grew up in the area and hiked the trails and mountains as a child. He comforted us by explaining how he knew every inch of the terrain and even knew when there were changes to the landscape such as a new fallen tree, or a dammed-up stream. By the time he was through talking, I was feeling much better. I knew that I had nothing to fear. There was no where we would go; no mountain that we were going to climb; and no path we were going to take in which our guide was not intimately familiar. Even though we didn’t even know what County we were in, he knew every new path that was created.

Sure enough, we encountered a situation in which our guides expertise was a life-saving experience. As we began climbing one small mountain after another, we encountered one mountain with a small trail that circled around the hill and slowly snaked it’s way to the top of the mountain. What we didn’t know at the time was that at one point on the mountain, there was a 20 foot stretch of the trail in which the trail narrowed to about one foot in width. You fall off the trail and you tumble down the mountain. Our guide was ahead of us and already had navigated this treacherous stretch. He knew it was coming and had crossed the path many times before. He knew what to expect . He crossed the narrow path with ease and waited for us on the other side, ready to coach us and lead us across danger to safety. Basically, we had to turn our backs to the mountain side and look forward, out over the long fall below, and slowly slide our way around the mountain until the path widened. Our guide would tell us where to place our feet and how not to look down, leading us every step of the way until we were all safe. Needless to say, our guide was our best friend at that moment.

We often go through life looking at the mountains and the dangers and worrying too much about what may happen while, all the time, forgetting that our guide–Jesus–has been there before. HE created the mountains. Nothing catches our Lord by surprise. HE is there to guide you and direct you every step of the way, if only you’ll focus on HIM and not the fall below.

Are you facing a huge trial or decision in your life right now? Are you seeing only the mountains? If so, take your focus off the mountain and place your focus in your guide. It’s amazing how much more beautiful the scenery is when you do that.

The Majesty of the Great I Am

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