Attributes of Our Lord: I Am Who I AM. (Exodus 3:14)
Elder Victor Lee
When reading a Christian article a few weeks ago, the author spoke about how the Lord’s peace meant a lot in his life. We know there are many descriptions and names in the Bible used to describe our Lord and they all have great significance. I felt challenged by the author to find which name or profound characteristic of Jesus I personally favored. For several days I searched the scriptures trying to decide which particular attribute of Jesus inspired me and why. The following names brought me inspiration: Light of the world (John 8:12); Good Shepherd (John 10:11); Savior (I John 4:14); Almighty God (Isa 9:6); Lamb of God (John 1:29); and the Word (John 1:14).
These are all great names or descriptions; however, there was one name that stood out the most. It is the description “I Am.” This can be found in Exodus 3:13-14, when Moses asks God for His name so he can tell others. God told Moses, “I AM THAT I AM.” At the time, this particular name was so sacred, it was used only by the high priest when addressing God. I may not understand the full meaning of this name, but I can testify that this is the most inspirational description to me because it has been foundational in building my Christian faith.
In the early years of my Christian faith, I struggled in believing the reality of Jesus. I knew who Jesus claimed to be; however, my faith was so shallow and unstable because I didn’t trust or truly believe in Him. I learned that mere knowledge of Jesus is not the same as trusting and having faith in Him. Like Moses, the temple leaders in those days also wanted to know who Jesus really was. Jesus told them in John 8:58, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am.” The temple leaders had knowledge of Jesus, but they never believed in His deity.
I too had wrestled with the truth about Jesus. Today the Lord is still telling people that He is the “I AM.” Once I realized, prayed, and trusted in this truth, my thinking, desires, and direction in life began to change. My thoughts were being renewed and my life transformed, knowing I can trust Jesus with all my heart because He is God’s Word (John1:14) and the incarnate Lord. This one aspect of Jesus helped stabilize my faith in Him. In Him, I found life’s meaning, direction, motive, purpose, strength, comfort, and an intimate relationship with Him.
Perhaps this can be your time to identify and reflect upon a specific aspect of Jesus that inspires you the most. Once you identify this one characteristic, you too will find daily renewal, living with confidence in your personal relationship with the great “I AM.”