The Great I Am

By: Tracy Neal

We have heard our Father, God, referred to by many names. Most of us recognize the terms YHWH, YAHWEH, JEHOVAH. He inspired the authors of the Bible to refer to him, in both the Old and New Testaments, as Lord and God. But the description He gave to Moses in Exodus 3:14 stands out in my mind: God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’"

We spend so much of our time seeking what we want and what we need in this world. Yet, throughout the Bible, He reminds us that He is all that we need. Let’s look at why He is the great I AM. In Isaiah 43:10, God tells the people of Israel:

“You are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me…”

In the Old Testament, we are assured by God that He is omnipotent, always present, and all powerful. He tells us in Psalm 46:10 to Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! In Isaiah 41:10, he assures us, “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” And again in Isaiah 46:4, he reminds us, “Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you.”

In the New Testament, Jesus explains to us that He and the Father are one and the same (John 10:30). In John 1:1, we are told, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Then, in verse 14, John explains, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Again, in John 10:38, we are told to “… believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” Thus, we see that Jesus was God, born as a human to be sacrificed for our sins and then be resurrected to take His rightful place on the throne.

Jesus told us repeatedly that He (God) was and is all that we need. Yet, as humans, we constantly seek to find our own way in this world and often fail to put all of our worries and needs on God’s shoulders as we are asked to do. I know, because I am all too guilty of this more than I would like to admit. In Matthew 11:28–30, we are directed by Jesus to lay down our worries:

²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am ^[gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

I know this and I do take my worries to God, yet I often fail to leave the load with Him; I seem to pick it back up and carry it on my back still. Our Father wants us to leave those things with Him. To trust in Him. To understand that with Him, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37).

In Revelation 1:17-18, it says, “… I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” Again, He reiterates this in Revelation 22:13—"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”

When we start to worry ourselves and face our darkest moments, we need to remember what Jesus continually stressed to all those who would listen:

“I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)

“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

“ I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:9)

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” (John 11:25)

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

There are many more verses reminding us that we have nothing to fear if we trust in Him. I’ll sum it up by referring you to Matthew 25-33, where Jesus reassures us that our needs are not unknown to God. All our Father asks is that we believe in Him first, above all else, and these things will be given to us. We should not live our lives in sadness, distraught and afraid because the Great “I AM” is, and always will be, our savior and safe haven. He has promised us an eternal life with Him that far outweighs anything this world has to offer us. He’s our creator, our life, and our destiny. All we have to do is trust who He has said He is… I AM. Let’s continue to strive to put Him above all else. My prayers are with you all.

Tracy