“And God said unto Moses, ‘I AM THAT I AM.'” Exodus 3:14
Dear Ones:
One of the greatest attributes of God is His “eternal,” unchanging nature. The author of the epistle to the Hebrews writes: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.” (13:8) What is it about the eternal nature of God that should have a profound effect on how we live?
When Moses asked God to show him His glory, the Lord said: “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you.” (Exodus 33:19) In passing before Moses, He would proclaim: “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.” (34:6) It is important to understand and to grasp the fact that this same God who passed before Moses, and showed him His glory, is the same today, specifically with regard to his mercy, grace, patience and abundant goodness and truth. What does this reveal to us? It is simply that God is the great constant to whom we can come in any circumstance, with any need, at any time, and KNOW that He has not changed. “We change; He changes not…His compassions, they fail NOT.” So then, what is the problem with our experience of God, our knowledge of God, and consequent communion with God? Failure to know and love God, and to fellowship with Him, is NEVER because of any variation with Himself, for He cannot change. The problem is with us…and our inconsistent attitude of faith. Jesus’ knowledge and fellowship with the Father was perfect because His faith was perfect in coming to the Father, and receiving from Him all that was needed at every moment of the day. We are called to follow in His steps, but to what extent, and how?
When God told Abraham, “I am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and be thou perfect,” (Gen. 17:1), He laid before us also an essential knowledge of His ways. First, He reveals who He is, the Almighty God. Now, He is the All-Mighty God at every minute of every day, for whom nothing is impossible. So, for every need that Abraham would have, or that we might have, God in Christ, by the Spirit, is CONSTANTLY willing and available to meet it. Again, the problem is never with God, but with us being willing to come to Him in faith consistently, and receiving from Him, again by faith, all that He desires to give. Secondly, we discover by God’s address to Abraham that He calls us to a singular, individual “WALK” before Him. We are to live in the reality of His presence, trusting and obeying Him, abiding in Christ. We are ultimately responsible to God, and God alone for how we live, and what we do and are. We see this in David’s words in Psalm 51, when he confessed: “Against Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight.” (v.4) Lastly, we see that we are called to have a “perfect” attitude towards God, which will translate into a “perfect” life. What does He mean by this? We know from Paul’s writings that our perfection is Christ Himself. However, we can have hearts that are cleansed and kept clean by the blood of Christ. (1 John 1:7,9) We also know that we can have, by the grace of God, hearts that are “pure,” a “single eye” of devotion to God, with no reserves, regrets or retreat. We see this when the Lord Jesus instructs us to take up our daily cross. He addresses an attitude of heart which is entirely, quietly, profoundly committed to God. Will that attitude be perfect always? No. But, as we grow in our fellowship with Christ, it will become increasingly more consistent, until that perfect day….when faith WILL become sight, and we shall see the Great Constant, the Savior and Life of our souls.
Dear Father, teach us Thy ways, wonderful ways that lead always to Thee. Give us a fresh vision of Who You are, and what You are willing and desirous to be to us, so that we in turn can be to Thee that which is pleasing and glorifying in your sight. We praise and thank Thee in the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
Love, Dad