The “I AM” is on your side

Exodus 5:22 – 6:5

²² Then Moses went back to the Lord and protested, “Why have you brought all this trouble on your own people, Lord? Why did you send me? ²³ Ever since I came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has been even more brutal to your people. And you have done nothing to rescue them!”

¹ Then the Lord told Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. When he feels the force of my strong hand, he will let the people go. In fact, he will force them to leave his land!”

² And God said to Moses, “I am Yahweh—‘the Lord.’ ³ I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty’—but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them. ⁴ And I reaffirmed my covenant with them. Under its terms, I promised to give them the land of Canaan, where they were living as foreigners. ⁵ You can be sure that I have heard the groans of the people of Israel, who are now slaves to the Egyptians. And I am well aware of my covenant with them.

This passage reminds me to persist in prayer – to keep going even if things seem to be getting worse. This was undoubtedly Moses’ complaint.

But more than that, I need to examine my posture of prayer. Persistence and proper posture – that’s what I need. I need to keep praying, but I also need to remember who I’m praying to. 

In verse 2 of chapter 6, God reminds us that He is El-Shaddai – God almighty. He, and He alone, has all the might and all the power. Yet even Abraham, Isaac and Jacob didn’t get to fully know God or his name – the “I AM”.

Fast forward many years, and a beautifully kind and amazing, powerful man walks the dusty streets of Jerusalem and says in John 8:58 to all who would listen, “Very truly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I AM!” 

And now, 2000 years later, I can know God, the great “I AM”, who became flesh and blood to rescue and redeem us.  We get to know Jesus – the “I AM” in the flesh! And then, beyond anything we could ever dream or fathom, He sacrifices Himself on the cross in my place and defeats death 3 days later. Is there anything the “I AM” can’t do?  

I can persevere in prayer when I know the “I AM” and what lengths He is willing to go to on my behalf because of His love for me.

Who is the light when my world is plunged into darkness? “I AM”, Jesus says (see John 9:5).

Who is my provider when I am in need? “I AM”, Jesus says (see Matthew 6:33 and John 15:5).

Who is my guide when I am lost? “I AM”, Jesus says (see John 14:6).

Who is my hope for healing when I’m sick or broken? Who is willing to help me? “I AM”, Jesus says (see Matthew 8:3).

Who is my protector – my rescuer – when I’m surrounded by enemies? “I AM!” Jesus says (see John 10:14)

Who is the One that can take away the burden of debt I owe to God for my sin and my awful, crushing guilt? “I AM”, Jesus says (see John 10:11) 

Our posture of persistence in prayer changes completely when we realise the “I AM” is on our side.

Jesus – the great “I AM”,

I will come to you in prayer now with a brand-new perspective. Because I belong to you, I have the “I AM” fighting for me. How could I ever doubt? When could I ever lose? I come to you now in faith. Amen

Written by B van Noppen