What's In A Name: I AMSample

In yesterday’s reading we saw how God is the great “I AM”. He is THE authority for all things at all times in all circumstances. But – forgetfulness was a huge problem for God’s people. In today’s passage, God’s people in Judah need to be reminded of the all-encompassing “I AM” nature of God. So, he gives them one through Isaiah.

Isaiah was a prophet. He was given the difficult task of reminding people who were far from God about who God was and what He was calling them to. If you read Isaiah, you’ll see all kinds of messages that he gave to people in order to call them out of their sin, remind them of God’s holiness, and encourage them to trust in Him again (like they had before).

In Isaiah 44:6, God says “I AM the first and the last. There is no God but me.” The nation of Judah was facing significant military threats from all sides and they knew they didn’t have the resources to win a war. Even though they had seen and experienced God’s incredible power, the circumstances they were now facing cast a shadow over their belief in His ability to CONTINUE being the great “I AM”.

We tend to be forgetful too. Not just “where did I put my phone” forgetful, but forgetful of supremely important things. Deep down, if we believe in God, we know He can do anything. And like we said yesterday, His power can be overwhelming when we experience it. So, what happens to cause us to forget who He is and what He’s capable of?

In John 16:33 Jesus reminds us, “…in this world you will have trouble…”. Our troubles tend to cause us to lose focus on what’s good or right in our lives. Like the people in Judah, when faced with big problems we can question whether God will (or can) save us.

So, when God says, “I AM the first and the last” he’s reminding all of us that these problems we face…they won’t last. He’s saying, “I AM here before them, I AM here after them”. In other words, He’s reminding us that He is ALWAYS the great “I AM”. No. Matter. What.

What causes you to lose focus on God? How can you remind yourself today that God is ALWAYS limitless as the great “I AM” despite your troubles?