I Am Who I Am
When I think of Moses, the first image that comes to mind is magnificent. I see obedience from a mother who sent her baby floating down a river that would lead to a crazy adventure. I see a fantastic leader; I see the great patriarch holding up his hands as the Red Sea is parted into two shaking walls of water, revealing a dry path to freedom. I can almost feel the fresh water and breezy air and the sound of frantic footsteps on the ground in the distance, what an image and what a victory. But in the middle of all of it, I see excuses.
I know what you’re thinking so let’s call a spade a spade. Naturally, it doesn’t speak of great leadership and a great man of God. But his was a long journey that began even before his pivotal encounter with God at a burning bush when he was 80 years old. That encounter changed his life and the lives of generations to follow forever. Moses answered God’s call from the bush with the words “Here I am”. But whether it was because of apprehension or humility, he quickly found excuses to not do what God asked immediately.
I once read this quote, “Excuses are like armpits, everyone has them and they all stink!”. As humans, we LOVE to complain and we love to make excuses for why we don’t want to do something. “I didn’t lose weight because I didn’t have time to prepare food or exercise”, or “I missed hanging out because I lost track of time”. “I can’t get to an event because something came up”, which really means you didn’t make an effort to get ready. Some of those sound too familiar. These excuses are on a smaller scale. A friend missing a coffee date or being late for a school project meeting isn’t going to kill you, but I do understand that around this time of the year we get a little busier, a bit more distracted and we make excuses to pull away from excellence in everything we do (2 Timothy 2:15).
The effects of the pandemic are slowly surfacing and commitment has become a thing of the past. How many times have you made resolutions the first week of January and checked in by June to see how you’ve progressed, only to find that more times than none, the resolutions disappear and the excuses increase. It’s easy to let life keep us busy and distracted. We make excuses to not do things and ignore the passion or commitment we made to them in the first place. Moses was well known for his ability to excuse himself out of a situation. “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:1).
Moses was content with his shepherd life in Midian. So content that perhaps most days he did not remember the sin that drove him to this wilderness (Exodus 2:12). God so often chooses the most unlikely candidates to fulfill His work and mission. Jonah, Gideon, Peter. You, me, and Moses certainly too because the shoe fits. God sees past the man or woman standing before Him and sees eternity. He sees our potential for good and how our broken vessels can fulfill His ultimate purpose for our own and/or someone else’s life. God didn’t accept Moses’ first excuse, because it is the same excuse anyone could use; “Lord, I don’t have all the answers”.
“Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” (Exodus 3:13). As a boy, Moses was raised in Pharaoh’s household. He had every advantage to learn and cultivate his intellect. He must have been a well-read, well-educated man, and yet he questioned HIS abilities. Moses missed the bigger picture. He didn’t need to know it all because it was never about him in the first place.
Too many times we fall into the trap of believing it has something to do with our abilities and continuously miss the fact that God is enough in Himself. But God being God, extends mercy works through people who reluctantly serve. Could I agree that Moses’ doubts can be justified? Look to the passages prior to chapter 4 and it reveals what God was asking of Moses. He told Moses to go into Egypt and free his people. Big task ahead, right? So it makes sense why Moses had doubts and was pretty hesitant about this idea. And that is just like us.
Too often when God asks us to do something, we make excuses. We are hesitant to do what He wants us to do. We come up with “what if’s” and excuses to tell God every reason why He is wrong. But in reality, the call isn’t about Moses, it was about God.
Let’s read on
Exodus 3:14 : God said to Moses, “I-AM-WHO-I-AM. Tell the People of Israel, ‘I-AM sent me to you.’”
When God said ‘I AM’ to Moses…sorry did you catch that? Let’s read it again.
“When God said ‘I AM’ to Moses, it was a massive statement of sufficiency, existence, and immediate presence.”
GotQuestions.org
And this is where trust comes into the story. In our lives and the story of Moses. God gave Moses every resource, protection, and power that he needed to carry out what God had commanded him to do. But it was by no means the power of Moses. All Moses needed was to be willing, and God would take care of the rest. God’s existence was and is not dependent upon anyone or anyone’s excuses. His plans are independent of the circumstances in our lives. He promises that He will be what He will be, and that is to be eternally constant. He stands, ever-present and unchangeable, completely sufficient in Himself to do what He wills to do and to accomplish what He wills to accomplish.
When God spoke to Moses and identified Himself as “I AM WHO I AM”, He stated that no matter where or when, HE IS THERE.
In Revelation 1:8, NIV it says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega’ says the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” This is who God is, and so true of Him for all of the time but especially timely in Moses’ day to a people in slavery, turmoil, fear, and who could see no way out. I AM, was promising to not only free them but to be their deliverer.
So as you read this, be encouraged like I was as I read this scripture. That the great “I AM” is for you, and in these trying times ahead and uncertainty especially in the next few weeks as fear cripples. ‘I AM’ is more than enough for you wherever you are or whatever you’re facing. Lean on the promise and stand on His word that He is with you at all times.
God’s existence was and is not dependent upon anyone…He promises that He will be what He will be, and that is to be eternally constant. His plans are independent of the circumstances in our lives. Share on XAnd when God asks you to do something in your life and you find yourself seeping into an attitude of “are you sure?” Remember that it is not only a lack of trust in ourselves but a lack of trust in God’s spirit within us. When God brings you to something and asks you to serve, we need to be able to have enough faith in Him that He will deliver.
My hope for you as you read this is that you’ll abandon the idea of ‘I did it my way’ and fix your eyes on the one who is peace that surpasses all understanding, and cast yourselves upon the grace and mercy of I AM.
