When I was a kid growing up we played this game. Well I’m not even sure if it was a game? Nevertheless this is what we would do; When someone said something that we didn’t like or didn’t know how to respond. We would say, “I know You Are But What Am I? For example if someone would say, “you are ugly.” You would say, “I know You Are But What Am I?” Not always the nicest response but it was a response to defer a negative comment. This phrase became the title of a message I recently shared at our church. (A message inspired and developed while listening to a message by pastor Steven Furtick). This is a powerful and impacting message of truth that needs to be both heard and received. The reason I say we need to receive it is because I know how most of us grew up. We were instructed to never think of ourselves more highly than we should. And we still shouldn’t. That is not in arrogance and pride. I believe there is difference in arrogance and confidence. Arrogance points to self and confidence points to God. Someone said, “we need to have GODCONFIDENCE.” Regardless of your view we must all realize that we are part of the equation in regards to the plans of God. God chooses to use people to accomplish His plans. So if we are always looking to self and making excuses for ourselves we will do more debating than doing. We must also remember this is not about “who you are?” or “who I am.” Its about who He is and He is the “I Am.” Let’s pick up the story of Moses in Exodus 3….
God & Moses are having a dialogue & Moses is trying to convince God of why he couldn’t do what it was that God was asking him to do, the very thing that God was sure he could do. Moses was saying, “I Know You Are But Who Am I?” I don’t think we give it much consideration but I believe we often try to persuade the “I Am” with the “who am I?” When in reality what God wants us to do and expects us to accomplish has more to do with Him than it does us, but we still play a vital part. How we view ourselves determines the outcome of what is to follow. God puts His confidence in us & we put our confidence in Him but very little happens because we spend the rest of time debating what He has put His confidence in, (us). It’s hard to believe isn’t it? God puts His confidence in us. He knows you. He made you. He designed you for a purpose and He is desiring for you to fulfill His plan and accomplish your purpose in life. That’s unbelievable isn’t? Especially knowing yourself the way you do, right? But remember God knows you better than anyone. He created you!
I think we all can relate to Moses on so many different levels. Moses went from saying, “Here am I!” to “Who am I?” in a matter of moments. When Moses felt the weight of who God is, he remembered who he was. And what is so amazing about all of this is in the presence of God Moses opinion of himself changed, however God’s opinion of Moses never changed. Some how we feel we have to change our selves, or be more, or be better than we are, and all the while God is saying, “I know who you are, I made you.” The Bible tells us that we are “fearfully” and “wonderfully” made. Its says that we are made in the image of God. You don’t need to tell God what He already knows. Before you were, He knew you. He knit you together in your mother’s womb. If God is calling you to do something He will equip you. If there is something you don’t have you must not need it! Trust God to do what it is He wants to do through you.
You don’t need to give Him a check list of your shortcomings or a resume of your strengths. He already knows! We spend more time talking about what we are, or what we aren’t then we do talking about who He is. We say, “Yeah but Im shy,” He already knows that. Moses was trying to tell God He wasn’t qualified for the job and why, but God was saying, “I know, but “I Am!” and I will be with you. Its not who you are in and of yourself; it is who you are because he is with you. He knows your capabilities, and short comings. He knows what side of the tracks you grew up on and He know your family’s history. (remember Gideon? Oh yeah, thats another story.) He knows your education level and your communication capabilities. He knows you are not consistent, faithful, patient. He is aware that you are not organized and knows that you are a procrastinator, yet He still chooses to use you, Wow!
Like Moses most of us don’t doubt God. We doubt ourselves. But when we doubt ourselves we are doubting what He created and the purpose He created us for. Most of us would say, I am never ___________ enough. Thats because our confession and God’s *confession are not always the same. God says. “we can.” We say, “we can’t.” Confession means many things, but it also means saying what God is saying. You don’t have to prove or disprove what God has already spoken. You just have to be obedient by believing it and doing it. Moses spent more time convincing God why He couldn’t do it then he did believing that if God was with him he could do it.
Andy Stanley says, “we should be more worried about making a difference then we are about making a point.” We all have a point and we feel it is valid. But the question we should ask is does our point make a difference. What point are you trying to make? Especially to God. We try to make a point that we are inadequate and God is saying, “I know but if you could do it on your own you wouldn’t have to depend on me. And I want you to depend on me to see it accomplished.” What would happen if we would surrender ourselves to God and say, “Maybe I can’t? But you can. And I trust you to be with me, and to accomplish your plan while I fulfill my purpose in you.” God simply told Moses, “I will be with you.” God is saying, “I Am” and Moses is saying, “but who am I?” Creation debating with the creator. The clay questioning the potter. And yet we do the same thing today. And yet like Moses, God chooses to use us.
When God speaks truth He wants us to receive there is always an inner voice that will come against that truth. Moses doesn’t doubt God He doubts himself but in dong so he is doubting the very thing God wanted to use, (himself). The voice of the inner enemy always speaks in 1st person. The devil internalizes the argument so we are saying whatever it is to ourselves. (“I’m so ________.” “I never will _________.”) It’s not just the things in our past that comes up. It’s also the those things in the present that we have never got right or haven’t had the courage to deal with yet. We need to hear God’s voice above all other voices. He knows you, He created you, He loves you! If you needed it to accomplish what it is you need to do then you would have it, if you don’t have it you don’t need it. You need Him. Believe Him and trust Him and see what happens. Insecurity is the ultimate insult to God. When we debate our short comings with God we are insulting His judgment. *(quit trying to convince God of what He already knows).
Deficiency is lacking something that is needed. Here’s the deal. We are all lacking something in some area of our lives or the other. We are never strong enough, decisive enough, patient enough, loving enough, or good enough. God is saying whatever you don’t have I will give you. (the words, the strength, the courage). God wants you to believe in yourself and lean on Him at the same time! He said to Moses, “I made you.” *(when you doubt the product you insult the manufacturer) God is saying, “I am.” (Moses is Saying I know you are but “who am I?). And God could say, “you are who I created, and you are the one I am putting my confidence in. It’s not about who you are its about who “I am.” You see this passage tells us that God heard the cries of His people and He was now choosing Moses to answer their cry for help. Who needs your help? Who has been crying out for God to send someone or to do something? Quit debating with God and allow Him to use you! Believe in yourself and lean on God.
God tells Moses He will be with him. Moses says, “suppose I do decide to do this who do I say sent me? God answers, “I Am.” He says, I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is the God who was, and is, and who will be. He is the God of your grandparents. He is God in your present state and He will be God in your tomorrow and the next day. He is the God of the past that is full of failures and disappointments. He is the God in the present that is full of difficulties and decisions. and He is the God of the future that is full of the unknown. He is the “I Am.” He has and is, and always will be. And He told Moses, “I will be with you.” And He will be with you too!
It’s not who you are it’s who He is in you… He is “I AM!”
Moses said, “I’m not clever with words” and God said, “I know but I Am!”
We say things like this:
– We say, “I’m not good enough”, and God says, “I know but “I Am.”
– We say, “I’m not patient enough” and God says, “I know but I Am!”
– We say, “I’m not sufficient enough” and God says, “I know but I Am!”
– We say, “I’m not faithful enough” and God says, “I know but I Am!”
– We say I’m not______ enough. But God says, “I know, but I AM!”
He made you! He knows you! He loves you! He is with you! He is “I Am!” And you can. Not because you know you can, but because you know “I Am!”
