Having the Skill to be the Little Fish in the Big Pond

Overwhelmed, confused, feeling unheard, frustrated? Worried, uncertain, not sure what to do or who to go to?

In Exodus 3:14, 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.’”

When God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and told him He was sending him back to Egypt to deliver His people, Moses was afraid and tried everything to get out of the job God was giving him to do. 

The job itself was massive, seemed impossible to Moses (maybe even beyond normal human endeavour), and he had no reason to think the Israelites would accept him as their deliverer. But Moses wouldn’t be going to Egypt on his own; God promised to remain with him every step of the way.

As a stand-alone description, I AM is the ultimate statement of self-sufficiency, self-existence, and immediate presence. God’s existence is not contingent upon anyone else. His plans are not contingent upon any circumstances. 

He promises that He will be what He will be; that is, He will be the eternally constant God. 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.

Yahweh ~ The Self-Existent One - Exodus 6:1-4

Yahweh-Bore ~ The LORD Creator -Genesis 1:1

Yahweh-Nissi ~ The LORD My Banner - as Moses would soon find out: Exodus 17:8-15

Yahweh-Raah ~ The LORD My Shepherd - an alignment to Moses’ profession prior to this revelation

Yahweh-Rapha ~ The LORD That Heals - Exodus 15:26

Yahweh-Shalom ~ The LORD Is Peace - Genesis 49:10

Yahweh-Shammah ~ The LORD is There - Genesis 28:15

Yahweh-Tsabbaoth ~ The LORD Of Hosts - embodied in the “burning bush”

Yahweh-Tsidkenu ~ The LORD Our Righteousness - Genesis 15:6 

Yahweh-Yireh ~ The LORD Will Provide - Genesis 22:14, Genesis 22:1-18.

God, in appearing to Moses, was reminding him of His perfect Lordship, his full awareness of the difficult circumstances he was in and was being called to lead Israel out of, and He was calling on Moses to trust Him.

Jesus spoke, many times during his time physically sharing our humanity, about His deity – His Yahweh-ness.

"I am the bread of life" (John 6:35)

"I am the light of the world" (John 8:12, 9:5)

"I am the gate" (John 10:7, 9)

"I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11, 14)

"I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25)

"I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6)

"I am the true vine" (John 15:1, 5)

And, ultimately and absolutely: "Very truly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I am!" (John 8:35)

He is the great I am – the great solver, the great comfort. The wisest. The best advocate. The true healer. There all the time. The greatest. 

Jesus showed us how. He embodied how. He was the “how”. 

A decade or so ago, Christians were seen wearing WWJD cloth bracelets. It’s still a question worth asking, even if the fashion has disappeared. It’s probably the most important question.

If nothing else, Jesus would probably remind us of all that He, the Father and the Spirit have promised us they will be in our personal relationship with God. 

It’s a great place to start.

Shalom.