“The LORD said to Moses, ‘Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.’
“God spoke to Moses and said to him, ‘I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. Say therefore to the people of Israel, “I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD.”’” Exodus 6:1-8
René Descartes, 17th century French philosopher, is known for his adage, “Je pense, donc je suis,” “I think, therefore I am.” For us, we could also say, I believe, therefore I behave, declaring our actions a direct outworking of what we believe about life and what is important (assuming some measure of self-control). But in divine philosophy, God is, therefore He does. Because He is good, and eternal, and the unchanging, Almighty, all-sufficient LORD, everything He does is an outflow and accomplishing of holy intent and purpose. We can trust what He does because we know who He is. (Job 23:13-14)
This gives such confidence in day-to-day living. When we know that God’s purposes are redemptive, and for our development and sanctification, we see challenges and trials in holy light. When we face a vast unknown or what if, but wade out on His promises, we begin to see His light jewels glimmer in the unfolding. What looks dim and ominous with limited human vision we learn to embrace through the lens of God’s providential and ultimate good. And we find His glory prints there.
What are we doing to know this I AM God? The better we know Him through His word, the more clearly we recognize His voice. The richer our communion and fellowship with others, the better we recognize His trustworthy hand. When we know Him as Covenant Keeper, the One able to make all grace abound, and to keep what we have committed to Him, we can have great confidence that He will do what He says, for our sake. He is Jehovah Shalom, therefore we have peace that guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Job 23:12; John 16:33; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Philippians 4:7; 2 Timothy 1:12).
Lord, give me the discipline to match Your attributes with Your promises, and then live in the joy and refreshment of their light. Establish and nurture my faith, that it flourishes for Your glory.
As the rain and snow 