Because Of Who You Are

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”” 2 Corinthians 12:9

Today is Friday, and like every other day, the Lord ministers to us in different ways. We are culminating a week, a week of just life in general; and as I sit here listening to worship instrumentals, the most I can say to the Lord is thank You.

In this season, I continue reading the book of Exodus, and while reading, I was deeply moved by His people’s actions. It reminded me so much of ourselves today. We saw the Lord free them from the hands of Pharaoh, remove them from those who enslaved them, drown their enemies, provide manna in the wilderness, and guide them daily with His presence. Their leader (Moses) was directly in contact with the Almighty, and STILL they complained, still wished at times to go back to their old ways. It seemed that at every stage they weren’t satisfied, often forgetting who the Lord of Hosts is.

As I reflected on this, an instant prayer came out: “God, forgive me and help me not be like these people.” Then the verse about His power being made perfect in weakness came to mind. In my human understanding, it doesn’t always make sense; but this is whom we serve: the One who does not rehash our past (only we do), the One who doesn’t turn away because of our flaws. Even with complaints and weaknesses, He still loves us. The power of God is in us not because of us, but because of who He is.

When the Lord called Moses from the burning bush, something deeply caught my attention. The Word says, “Then He said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.’” (Exodus 3). In that moment, Moses couldn’t deny who God was. He had been found in the water as a baby to be saved, and now the God of those before him appeared to him. Though he was raised in Egypt, his purpose spoke louder. Further down, God declares that He is the I AM; no ifs, no whens, no buts. The undeniable God encountered Moses and changed his destiny.

Because of who He is, we can say thank You; not because of what I’ve done, not because of what I can say, and not because of my abilities. The truth is, He found me just as He found Moses: imperfect, yet chosen for His perfect will.

And that is true for whoever is reading this today. I’ve heard many people say, “I’ll accept Christ when I’m ready,” or “when I reach a certain point.” But the truth is, in eternity God already chose you first. He died for our sins and sent His only begotten Son to restore the bridge broken through sin. Because sin lives in our flesh, we must deny ourselves and carry our cross: “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’” (Matthew 16:24).

Because of who He is, we have freedom, redemption, salvation, hope, peace, and everlasting life with Him. We pray this post blesses someone tonight, and as we wind down, we remember to glorify His name and say like Jesus said:

“I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.” John 17:4

Blessings!

– Aianna M.