"I AM" a verb (Part 2)

A running theme throughout Exodus would be “The Presence of God.” After Moses’ encounter with God’s presence in the burning bush, he was spoiled for the ordinary. Later on in Exodus, it refers to the Lord speaking to Moses face to face as a man speaks with his friend. This wasn’t a literal face-to-face encounter, but rather a presence-to-presence encounter. Both were present in the moment of engaging with one another. Because Moses spent time in God’s presence and knew that was where his confidence was derived from, he refused to proceed without it.

Moses had a front row seat when it came to God’s presence. He certainly knew Him to be “I AM.” He was the chosen mediator between God and the people. But because Moses was a human mediator, the people could never get close to God’s presence. In fact, in Exodus 20 after the people witnessed the magnitude of God’s presence they were too afraid to even want to hear God speak to them and told Moses to do it for them. They stood afar off.

Because of God’s desire to make His presence known to anyone who desired Him, He made provision for the perfect mediator to make a way. “I AM” became present with us through Jesus Christ. No longer would we have to stand afar off. As Paul says in II Corinthians 3 (The Message), we have the ability to recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. There is nothing between God and us; our faces can now shine with the brightness of His face.

I wonder if some of us are still standing afar off because we still see our relationship with God as a piece of chiseled stone? In essence, “I AM” is a noun and not a verb. It isn’t that He stopped being a living, personal presence, but He did to us.

One of my spiritual daughters led her brother to Jesus about a year ago. My friend and I were able to quickly get him into a four-week discipleship programme. His sister was excited, we were excited and he was excited. He would return to his sister’s home on the weekend sharing all he was learning. After the programme was finished he would attend follow-up sessions and would return with the same enthusiasm. Unfortunately, the enticements of this world started to vie for his attention and we all lost touch with him. He recently re-surfaced at his sister’s wedding. I was thrilled to see him as I had been praying for him in his absence. I didn’t focus on what had transpired while he was away, but on the fact that he was now present. At one point during our conversation he shared about the story of the prodigal son and how the Father received the son back with open arms. I was so encouraged to hear that this young man’s reassurance was in the fact that he knew he could return to the Father’s presence. Yes, just like the prodigal son, this young man removed himself from God’s living, personal presence. For him, “I AM” had become “I WAS.” But, just like the father in the story, God’s desire for renewed relationship with this young man remained alive.

He does this for all of us. Even if we’re standing afar off from God’s presence, for whatever reason, and our relationship with Him has become a dead noun or principle or method or formula that speaks of rules, it is possible to return to “I AM” who is a verb and is alive and full of grace.    

"I AM" a verb (Part 1)

I was recently reading in my devotions the story of Moses and the burning bush in Exodus 3. Previous to this, Moses had killed an Egyptian while defending a fellow Hebrew. His deed was discovered, and now a wanted man, he fled to Midian. There he met and married one of Jethro’s daughters and took up shepherding for the next 40 years. On one occasion, while tending his father-in-law’s flock on Mount Horeb, the mountain of God, he happened upon a burning bush. He said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” God’s presence was in the midst of the bush, and when He saw that Moses turned aside to look, He called him by name. Moses responded, “Here I am.” God then introduced Himself to Moses as, “I AM WHO I AM.”

I just returned from a trip to Zimbabwe. While I was there I met with a few young adults at their weekly Bible Study. I had a chance to share with them that I wrote a book and the reason why. Hearing that I had been following Jesus for 42 years, the leader of the group asked me to comment on how I viewed my relationship with God as this may help them as young people. I referred to it as a journey where at any point I have the opportunity to encounter God and discover Him in a new way.

It is stories like Moses’ encounter with God that remind me that God meant for us to be on a living, active journey with Him, because He is a living, active God. When God says that He is “I AM WHO I AM,” He is saying that He is living, active, dynamic, moving. “I AM” is a verb, not a noun.

After I shared about seeing my life with God as a journey, the young man said that most of us view our relationship with God like something we need to graduate from and to. Like graduating from primary school and moving to secondary school, and graduating from secondary school and going to University, and graduating from University and then getting a job, and then hoping to be promoted in a job, etc. I thought this was an apt analogy of how we view our lives. For me, it is like turning a verb into a noun. A verb that is alive and full of grace and then turning it into a dead noun or principle or method or formula that speaks of rules. Once we do that, something about our relationship with God dies. It turns what should be a process into an event. It is during the process that growth occurs and change in our characters takes place.

During Moses’ journey in his own desert he encounters God. He notices something alive on that mountain that catches his attention. He turns aside to take in this great sight. It is only when the Lord sees that Moses stops and turns aside to look that He calls to him. Moses’ response in saying “Here I am” is an indication that he is present to engage with God. God is alive and active in the burning bush. Moses is alive and active in his response to an invitation to go deeper. Once God sees this desire to go deeper, He reveals to Moses His Name, “I AM.” This Name encapsulates everything Moses needs Him to be at that moment of being commissioned to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

What a picture of the alive, active journey God wants to take each one of us on, and how He wants to reveal more and more of Himself at every turn of our journey. The question is: Will we take the time to turn aside to see this great sight, and allow “I AM” to be a verb by being whatever He needs to be at that point in our journey, and at every turn henceforth?          

Seeing from God's Perspective (Part 3)

While attending Bible School 28 years ago, I was introduced to a song that was taken from Psalm 61:2, “From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” It’s amazing how all these years later I still remember that song, and it seems to come back to me at just the right time – when my heart is overwhelmed!

I love big rocks. I love climbing on rocks, sitting on rocks, standing on rocks, touching rocks. They are such a picture of strength, of immobility, of character and definition. Jesus was referred to as the Rock for all the above reasons and more. What made Him so unshakeable? I believe it was His deep connection with the Father and His unswerving confidence in His Word to Him. Jesus made it His utmost desire to ask what was on the Father’s heart, listen to the Father’s voice, and obey Him no matter what. He was determined to see from God’s perspective. The life Jesus lived here on earth is the life He desires to live through those who are in relationship with Him. It doesn’t take us long to discover, when reading through the gospels, that Jesus led a very disciplined life. He was dependent on the Father’s instructions and direction just as we should be. He was desirous of obeying and pleasing the Father just as we should be. He made what mattered to God, matter to Him just as we should be.

Nearly 10 years ago I received a John Maxwell Leadership Bible from a friend. John highlights certain passages adding his insights. Just today I read, “Spiritual growth doesn’t ‘just happen,’ any more than climbing a mountain ‘just happens.’ You don’t wander up a mountain and surprise yourself when you reach the top. Growth results from hard work.” This is so in line with what I shared in Parts 1 and 2. I have learned, and am endeavouring to demonstrate and challenge those I’m journeying with, that our relationship with Jesus can only grow and mature as we spend time in His Word and apply it to our lives. It’s allowing ourselves to be accountable to those we trust to ask us the hard questions: Are you in the Word? What has God been speaking to you lately? How are you applying it to your life today? Has God been saying something to you in which you are not fully obeying Him? And the one I frequently ask my spiritual children, “Did you ask God about that?” It could be concerning moving home, country, a relationship, a job, etc. And then, “Did you take the time to listen to His answer, and are you committed to fully obeying what He said?”

I know for myself I get overwhelmed because I’m not seeing something from His perspective. I’m not seeing from His perspective because I’m not in His Word, and therefore, I’m not allowing the Rock to stabilize me and re-direct me. I believe this is the same for all of us. We can only experience the reality of God when we’ve disciplined ourselves enough to take the time to be in His Word and allow it to divide soul and spirit and judge the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts. Truly, are we seeing our lives from God’s perspective?

Seeing from God's Perspective (Part 2)

Every time I travel through the airport in Johannesburg this African proverb on a noticeboard grabs my attention, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

I’ve definitely been more of a loner throughout my life. Leaving home when I was turning 23 started my journey of independence that continued for the following 27 years. I’ve had to be constantly reminded that life isn’t about going fast, but rather far. The environment that God has used to teach and remind me of this has been living in Africa for the past 15 years. My initial years here were frustrating to say the least. My fast-paced, goal-oriented western mentality wanted to get things accomplished yesterday! People just kept interrupting the process. I must admit it took years for me to finally clue into what God was really after. He wasn’t concerned about going fast alone, but about going far together. This is exemplified over and over in the Scriptures with Jesus walking together with His disciples for the three years of His earthly ministry. Even Paul travelled with Timothy, Titus and numerous others. Many of them he was discipling as they journeyed along those dusty roads.

I’ve endeavoured to put this principle into practice when hiking mountains by asking some of my spiritual children to join me. Although most of them have never done it before the idea of hiking up a mountain intrigues them. Then they see the height of it and ask how far are we climbing and I point to the top. After the first few ascending steps they wonder what they’ve got themselves into. Some of them get the hang of it quickly; some have to be coaxed up the entire ascent; some sit down on a nearby rock and tell me they can’t go on, but with encouragement slowly continue. What elation there is when they get to the summit and look down to see how far they’ve come. The perspective they have from the top makes it all worth it.

I liken this experience to discipleship. The greatest chance we have of going far is by going together. I could have reached the top of those mountains faster if I was alone. But instead I chose to slow down and make sure those who were struggling were going to make it along with the rest of us. I had experienced the view from the top and I wanted them to experience it too. As with hiking, every step of the discipleship process can be used to instruct, to teach, to encourage, to challenge.

I was recently speaking to one of my spiritual sons whom I’ve been walking with for the past 10 years. I well remember him taking baby steps at the beginning of his relationship with Jesus. On many occasions I challenged him to come up higher in areas of his character. On his 27^th Birthday I surprised him with a leadership Bible as I saw that gift in him. Now years later, I am hearing him speak about the Word and how he is applying it in his life and using it to challenge and encourage those he is now leading. It was so evident he was seeing things and people from God’s perspective. I believe this is true because we chose to go far together.

Perhaps we all need to re-evaluate how we travel. We may be travelling fast because we are alone, but how far are we really going to get? 

Seeing from God's Perspective (Part 1)

As a full-time missionary for the past 18 years, and before that, taking short-term missions trips, I’ve had the privilege of travelling all over the world. I’ve seen firsthand (although not climbed!) many mountain ranges - some of the better known ones being the Himalayas, the Alps, the Rockies, the East African Highlands, and the Andes. I’ve even seen the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro from the airplane. All have been spectacular sightings that have been kept as snapshots in my memory bank.

I moved from Zimbabwe to Cape Town in 2009. In the suburb I live in, I can walk out my front door and see the ocean and I can walk out my back door and see the mountains. More spectacular sightings. As I’m not so partial to the ocean, I’ve kept it as a spectacular sighting. For some reason, I’ve been drawn to the mountains and haven’t been satisfied leaving them as mere sightings. As intimidating as they are, I’ve wanted to experience them. The only way one can truly experience these mountains is to go through the gruelling process of climbing them! I remember a few years ago doing my first climb with my Swiss friend. I was huffing and puffing all the way up and all the way down and she was like a Swiss mountain goat bounding from one rock to the next! I must admit the exertion required to ascend the mountain overrode the exhilaration of making it to the summit. So much so, I didn’t really take in and enjoy the view from the top. Perhaps it was the pain my muscles underwent the next few days that kept me from pursuing another mountain climb. I decided to keep them as spectacular sightings. When I dug a bit deeper into the “why” I didn’t continue climbing, I would have to confess that I didn’t “feel” like making the effort and expending the energy. It was basically too much trouble. I’d rather just take a walk in the park!

It’s interesting because this mentality proved to be a parallel to the thinking I had about my walk with God. If He had pressed me on an issue in my heart that had been painful to go through, and another one came to the surface, I would shy away from wanting to go through something similar again. And yes, I would much rather take my heart on a walk in the park than taking it through the gruelling process of climbing another mountain. Allowing my heart to stay at ground level kept me from seeing what God wanted me to see from His perspective. As long as I did this, my relationship with God would remain merely as a sighting and not an experience. I’m not sure when the shift in my thinking took place, but I started looking at those mountains differently and wanted to climb them again. This I did both in the physical and in the spiritual. Definitely not an easy feat, but the more I pushed my body and my heart upward and onward, the more I experienced life in Christ as it was meant to be – seeing from His perspective. Now, both in the physical and the spiritual, I am looking for greater challenges and no longer satisfied with a walk in the park. It’s becoming less and less about what I feel like doing from my perspective and more about what I know is the right thing to do from God’s perspective.