Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” 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.’”
Exodus 3:13,14
The Great I AM
Daily Devotion – June 15, 2023
Devotion based on Exodus 3:13,14
See series: Devotions
“Does that name mean anything to you?” You might drop a name and then pause and ask that question. You want to know if not just the name, but the person is familiar. Do recognize who this person is and what he has done?
If Moses went to the Israelites on God’s behalf, he wanted to drop a name that meant something. So the Lord revealed his name which means something powerful. “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
In the previous verses, Moses got hung up on who he was. He asked, “Who am I.” God answered that self-conscious fear by saying, “I AM WHO I AM.” That’s his name; he is the great I AM. Moses was able to serve not because of who he was but because of who the Lord is. He is the great I AM. That name means so much.
His name is not “I was,” as though he used to care. His name is not “I will be,” as though he is presently unable to act. He is who he is, not just in the moment but for eternity. His name I AM means that he is unchanging. It means that he exists in a realm of his own—there is no one else like him. He does not merely dwell in temples built by human hands. He does not exist only in our imaginations. He Is. He is the Great I AM. I AM, Yahweh or Jehovah in Hebrew and often translated LORD (in all capital letters), is the name associated with God’s boundless love and his promise of salvation. For you this name means salvation and eternal life.
Prayer:
Lord, I am limited in many ways. But you are the Great I AM. Increase my faith that I may always trust in your unchanging love. Amen.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
