I don't know when we will ever fully appreciate this truth. Maybe one day we will be able to look back over our lives through spiritual eyes and recognize just how constant I AM was in every situation.
I'm a firm believer that as a child of God that there is no situation in my life where I AM is not present or not at work. God loves to be everything for us. The more we come to grips with that understanding of His nature, the more available is the revelation. Personally, I have been able to look back over portions of my life, times when I wasn't sure if God was really there and have found His presence. I can see where He was giving peace, comfort, and provision. I can see Him in places where it just didn't seem possible to have Him there. But this is the beauty of who He is - "not far from each of us."
Knowing I AM changes who I am. Recognizing that He is peace, healing, provision, etc. makes all the difference in the world. Having the confidence that God wants to be those things regardless of my circumstances means that I can have confidence in who He is for me. I don't have to waver in my faith. I don't have to wring my hands with anxiety. I don't have to feel alone. He is always there and He is always what I need.
When I reflect on the I AM statements of God, I'm reminded of His word to the priests in the Old Testament. They were not given an inheritance along with the tribes of Israel. The Lord has told them that HE would be their provision. What God was saying is that they did not have to labor as the others, did not have to worry about a place to lay their heads, and did not have to worry about being taken care of in this life. He would be everything that they need. I believe it's one of the reasons we hear God rejecting what the priests were offering in Malachi because they were holding back what was rightfully God's - which is just the same as saying that they did not trust Him to be their provision. What you will discover in life is that this is where we often fall short as well. When we do not trust God to be who He says He will be then we will not experience Him in that particular way.
Think about it:
If we do not trust God to be our Healing - we will only experience the healing this world can provide.
If we do not trust God to be our Provision - we will only experience the best provision that we can bring.
If we do not trust God to be our Peace - we will look for peace through other avenues.
If we do not trust God to be our Righteousness - we will seek to establish our own.
It doesn't matter which attribute of God that I list here. If you don't trust that He will be these things for you then you will never experience this part of His nature. You must be convinced of the amazing reality that God will be EXACTLY who He says He will be and that God will do EXACTLY what He says He will do.
Take some time today to review the I AM statements of God. Allow these truths to sink deep into the very core of who you are and watch your life be transformed by your faith in Him. Imagine what a life of confidence in God looks like for you. If you struggle to see it then go back through the gospels and witness Jesus' confidence in the Father. His life radically changed the world and radically challenged the faith of others. Then put yourself in that picture. You could be the one who is changed and you could be the one who challenges the faith of someone else. Be encouraged today. In this journey you get to discover who God is and who He is for you.
Be blessed!!!
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