Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 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.’”—Exodus 3:13–14
In late 2019, just before the pandemic, I moved continents. In making this huge move I reduced my worldly possessions to one small and one medium suitcase. The journey, while painful, was cathartic as I stripped away the comforts of everything that I knew to embrace a new continent, a new life, and hopefully new friends. There was one thing, however, that remained constant: I AM!
I had never really understood why God told Moses that His name was “I AM,” but I think I kind of get it now. “I am” is constant. God was saying to Moses, “I don’t change. I am not limited to human nouns, verbs, or adjectives.”
It took a year from the time we decided to make the move until we stepped onto new shores! It was stressful and exciting at the same time. Fast-forward to the present day and we have a semblance of stability. Is it the house, the car, the job? No, not really. All these things are nice and needed, but the truth is that the one constant has been Jesus, and He saw us through it all.
As these major milestones were falling into place, all I could think was how amazing it is to trust the great I AM for His timing in sorting things out. I’m one to jump a few steps ahead, and I want everything now. But if the constant in my life never changes, why should I jump ahead? Why should I want to have something before it is time? Why can’t I trust Him now like I did yesterday?
We always want the sun to shine, but like the horrific summer of bush fires in Australia showed us, heat without rain can be devastating. Likewise, rain without sun can bring floods. So, we need the ever-changing variables in life—the weather being one of them—to provide balance, growth, and a way to move forward. However, if we have the variables with no anchor, we’d be tossed to and fro like a boat in a storm. The great I AM Himself is our anchor, something unchangeable that we can lock onto no matter what storms come our way. This is the balance that we need. We need the ever-changing winds to bring sun, rain, storms, and rainbows, and yet we need consistency in the form of a rock, something unmovable to keep us secured, come what may.
When I think of God’s response to Moses I hear: “I am your anchor. I am your sure thing. I am the only one you should keep focused on. If you lose focus, you can slip and fall, but when you stay focused, that’s when victory is assured.” So, to be victorious, we need to keep our eyes locked onto a solid anchor, a steady hope, and a source of strength that can help us move continents, uproot our life, and guide us through the inconsistent and changing terrain of life. “I am the Lord, I change not” (Malachi 3:6 KJV).
The next time someone asks me if I’m worried about something, I can reply: “Why should I be? I AM changes not.”
I can be grateful when the sun shines,
I can be grateful when the storms blow,
When adversity hits or when sorrows show,
I am grateful because I have Him and He has me, I know!