By Stefanie McGowan
Have you ever asked God, “Who are you, Lord?”
Moses had a conversation just like this in Exodus, where God replied, “I AM who I AM.” (Exodus 3:14)
If you’ve never asked God that, I honestly encourage you to.
Because our God promises if you really want to know him, if you seek Him with your whole heart, there you’ll find Him. (Jeremiah 29:13). And you just might be amazed at what you discover!
Who are you, Lord?
“The Lord is a warrior; Yahweh is his name!” (Exodus 15:3)
“Who is like you among the gods, O Lord — glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders?” (Exodus 15:11)
Have you ever wondered? Show me, Lord, what does that mean?
What does that look like, feel like… show me.
“Show me your glory,” Moses asks. (Exodus 33:18)
Your humanness can’t handle the splendor, the majesty, the holiness that is the I AM.
My glory is too much for you, God reveals…
So I’ll show you my goodness.
“I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you…” (Exodus 33:19)
I’ll reveal who I am, my name, my character to you instead….
What an incredible God!
We’ve been taking a look here at www.GraceEnough.org, at the depth of our Father: the I AM.
For me, adding another baby to our family, has revealed a recurring theme in these last few months… He is the Light.
Four months ago, The Lord gifted us with another healthy, chunky, curly–haired baby girl. I adore my role, and this season! But nothing has ever driven me to the feet of Jesus, in thankfulness and desperation, in awe or exaltation more than this season of being a mother has.
I’ve never been more aware of my sin, than in those early sleepless nights, or in those vulnerable states of ever changing hormones, or a tired and foggy brain. It completely exposes my dark places and my need for the One who makes us whole.
We recently had our first overnight outing as a family, where my toddler experienced night terrors on our trip. In those tender moments, I sat with her there in the dark for hours– holding her, praying over her, trying desperately to console her, and nothing worked. I begged the Father for wisdom. I asked the Holy Spirit to hover there, and finally carried my kicking-and-screaming-still-asleep girl downstairs. There was no waking her. All I could do was pray. And as I sat beside her in the dead of night, she wailed. And I wept too. I’d been begging God for wisdom as I prayed, and all I could do was remind her that I was near, and that I loved her.
There in the dark, all she had to do was come to me, and I would help her.
The Lord ministered to me as I sat there in the darkness, painting a vivid picture of how we choose to suffer in the dark, apart from God, instead of looking to the Light. We groan and stumble through the darkness, through unnecessary pain and suffering, when all along our God says: “I am the LIGHT of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). It’s not that we will be without suffering, rather in it, He makes a way in the darkness. He shines in dark places and the darkness has not overcome Him. The victory of sin and death is still His, we’re still His… and He’ll lead the way, making intercession for us, giving us access to boldly come before the Father. Our Jesus is the LIGHT.
Amidst the darkness of the ages, the suffering, and the doubt.
Through mass shootings, and natural disasters, hunger, cancer, and homelessness…
There, in the dark, against the black backdrop of the world: the light is more easily seen.
It’s where our desperate need for a Savior is ever present.
Where our weakness boasts a platform for God’s glory to shine. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
It reminds me that this life is temporary, and that the Light of the World is coming… soon!
It reminds me that we are called to be the light. Even in the darkness, especially in the darkness, because He is LIGHT.
The I AM is the LIGHT.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the LIGHT of men. The LIGHT shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1-5)
The light grows us, even as plants grow toward the light. It draws us in, and transforms us out of a dark and dormant state; Jesus changes us. As light expels the darkness, it also exposes our sin. We cannot look to the LIGHT and remain in the dark. We cannot spend time with Jesus and remain unchanged.
Friends, this series of “I AM” is soul food; with powerful reminders to press in to the One, true God and learn of Him. I encourage you to dive into these posts here at www.GraceEnough.org and let the light in. Pray. Look up verses. Soak up the time you’re given and spend it seeking God’s heart. Ask the Lord to use it as fuel for your growth, like fertilizer for a growing season. Because New Life is coming! And in these days before Christ’s return, you and I will need the growth of deep roots in Him, to sustain our faith in drought. There will undoubtedly be dark days ahead. So grow, friends. Grow in your need and knowledge of the I AM.
Let the light expose all the things that hold you back from really pressing in to Jesus, the things that rob your attention, and keep you distant. The things that keep you from trusting the One who made you. Trade those shadows for time in the light, as you sit at the feet of Jesus. Spend time in His Word, knowing there will be a time when there will:
“No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.” (Revelations 22:3-5)
Grace Enough 