I Am - Martin Wiles

God replied to Moses, “I am who i am. Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you.” Exodus 3:14 NLT

The wrong tense can lead to the wrong conclusion.

I am the President. Not likely that’s true—or that it ever will happen. One, because I don’t plan to run. Two, because I have no political experience and wouldn’t have any chance of winning. But the present tense would tell someone that is what I am, currently.

I was President. Different scenario. Somehow, I made it into the office and served my term. At some point in the past. But unless I said when, no one would know. They’d simply know it happened in the past because was is the past tense of am.

I will be President gives yet another scenario. I have not been the President in the past, nor am I the President in the present. Adding will looks to the future.

Without a verb, a sentence cannot be a sentence. Verbs link subjects to nouns or adjectives, show action, help, or show state of existence. I am shows state of existence. It tells what I am currently. I can only be in one place and time for one second and still say, “I am.” After one second passes, I will be “I was.”

With God, things are different. When God told Moses to lead His people out of Egyptian slavery, Moses said they’d want to know who sent him. God said to tell them “I AM” did.

I live in chronological time—seconds followed by minutes followed by hours followed by days followed by years. Once one second passes, I’m in the past tense, never to be in that present again. God, however, lives in the eternal now. He sees the past, present, and future all at the same time. Like watching a parade from the top of a tall building.

Pretty heavy stuff, but the implications bring comfort, encouragement, optimism—and a dose of realism. Regardless of the physical pain, God abides in the present with me to give me peace and strength to endure. If the pain is emotional—depression, discouragement, disappointment—He stays in the present present and in all future presents. When I’m doing my best to fulfill His plan for my life, God walks with me in the present, guiding me forward.

Learn from the past, look forward to the future, but enjoy the present and know God abides with you in every one of your present moments.

Prayer: Father, we thank You for dwelling with us in all of our present moments.

Tweetable: Are you in time with God's time?

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