Session 1

God is Jehovah

From What is God Like? A 21-Day Devotional

Have you ever been assigned a task you felt was too big to accomplish? Your initial thought is, “Who am I to carry this out?” Whether it’s in your career, marriage, volunteer role, parenting, or school, we all have moments in which we wonder, “Why me?”
 
Moses had a similar reaction in the book of Exodus. God sent Moses to carry out His plan to deliver the Israelites from Pharaoh. Moses’ first question was, “Who am I to carry out this great task?” His second question, however, was even more important. He asked, “What name do I give when I say who’s sending me?” God responds, “I AM WHO I AM...I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14).

We describe ourselves by what we do or how we’re connected to others, like, “I am a businesswoman” or “I am a mother.” God does not need qualifiers that describe Him in relation to something else. Everything finds its definition in relation to God. When He referred to himself as “I AM,” He reminded Moses He had all authority and had always existed. God is all-powerful, unchanging, and constant.
 
Scholars say Jehovah or Yahweh, translated as “the Lord,” comes from the Hebrew word for “I am.” Yahweh is used more than any other name of God in the Bible for a total of 6,519 times. Over and over again, God’s people are reminded of the power of I AM.

Knowing God equips us to know who we are and what we’re called to do.

When we feel our assignments in life are overwhelming, it is human to ask Moses’ first question, “Why me?” However, it is vital to ask the second question that changes everything: “Who is sending me?”

Reflect:

• What's one area of your life where you feel overwhelmed and unable to accomplish the task at hand? Is this something God has called you to do?
• How does knowing the characteristics and power of God change your perspective on that task?