The great unchangeable I AM.
by Margaret Silvester
I’m writing this seed on New Year’s Day, having had time to reflect on the past year, and recalling my experience of the faithfulness and steadfast love of God through varied, changing circumstances of my life. Quietly anticipating the coming year I’m assured that the One who has planned, guided and directed the past can be completely trusted with the future, as I walk in His purposes. Knowing that His character is unchanging brings deep peace of heart to me.
Our text for today is in the context of God calling and initiating Moses into a humanly impossible task. He feels unfit, unsuited and inadequate for the calling on His life. He has been taken through a process of humbling and dependence on the One who called him, but there’s still a problem. This is the beginning of a new journey and Moses is insecure, so he asks the name of the One who’s sending him. He’s not asking simply for a name, but for the significance of that name. Moses needs to know that God will prove Himself to be ever dependable and resourceful for every circumstance ahead: he needs to know that God will never fail.
‘I AM’ is the name through which God revealed His character. It literally means, ‘I am now and always will be what I have always been’. Faithful forever He remains the same through sunshine or shadow, through calm or storm, through joy or sadness – there’s no shadow of turning with Him.
As we reflect on the past year we may have regrets and recollect mistakes we’ve made, making it hard to move forward. I AM lives with us in the present! He’s able to redeem the past and restore us. Nowhere does He call Himself ‘I was’.
As we anticipate the future it may appear to have problems and difficulties that could make us fearful. Living in the future causes our fears to stand between us and ‘I AM’, who says, ‘Do not fear for I am with you’. He’s the ever- present God.
I AM is the God of today. He simply asks that we trust Him and live throughout today in uncompromising obedience to Him. He asks that we make right choices, with right heart attitudes and motives. This is proof that we love Him. Then His unswerving promise will be ours today; ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose’ (Romans 8:28).
Prayer: O God, You who in the past have been faithful to all Your promises and spoken into my heart when I most needed it, I trust You today. You who in the past have sustained me in suffering and shone Your light into the darkest places of my life, and have been my strength when I have been ready to give up, Lord of my life, I trust You today. In Jesus You’ve revealed Your heart so I can trust You today. Amen.
Margaret Silvester had a career as a teacher prior to being called into full time Christian Ministry with her husband, David, in 1986. They were involved in establishing a Healing Ministry in the local church and Margaret has a passion to see lost and wounded people found and restored. She and her husband joined the Ellel Ministries teaching and ministry team in 2000 after a clear call from God. Margaret`s book "Stepping Stones to the Father Heart of God" has recently been published.
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