“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” started to play on my cell phone and I could not answer it fast enough! You see, that is my daughter’s ring tone and she left on June 8th
for California with her two friends, Patti and Kelsey. There were so excited this year. They are always excited every year about what the LORD will do in and through them as they travel around the USA and Canada ministering His word at camps, but this year they had built in a few extra days to hike the Grand Canyon. They usually stop and marvel at God’s handiwork, but this time they were going to see it up close and personal and they just could not wait! She has been gone nearly a week now, with only a couple of text messages home – one of which simply said “Glory!” so I was anxious to hear her voice and the God stories I just knew she would have.
When I answered the phone, her voice seemed to be in awe. She explained they had been down the Canyon and were back up again (they camped at the bottom). She explained how they were going to camp a second night half way up but, since it seemed early enough, they decided to push on so they would only have two mornings waking up in pain instead of three! She described how they were hiking, Patti in front and Kelsey behind and she was in the middle. As the sun set the darkness set in as well – blackness may be a more appropriate term. The only lights they had were the little headlamps they wore. They could not even see the trail beside them or in front of them. They could only see the ground around them that was directly in the beam of those little lights. They could not have moved had it not been for those little lights because they might have stepped off of the trail and fallen! They HAD to follow the light – one step at a time. As they moved forward the light moved forward.
This gave me new meaning to the verse “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet”. God tells us that His word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path – Psalm 119:105. In the “daylight” we do not need flashlights or lanterns because we can see the path. When we are enjoying good times life is sweet and we don’t “need” a lamp; however, when the storms come and darkness settles in, we desperately need something (or Someone) to guide us and quickly grasp for the lamp – the Word – the LORD. The amazing part is that we can leave His Word on the shelf in the good times, but when things get rough and we seek His light and direction, He is ALWAYS there, never leaving us or forsaking us; never reprimanding us. He longs for us to be in His Word during the easy times also, so that we are not so desperate for Him but have known His presence all along. He is so patient with us, understanding our frame because He made us.
In Psalm 119 the psalmist is referencing the LORD – Jehovah; the great I AM; the self-existent One. When we need assurance that God is there, that He will keep His promises without changing even though I waver in my promises to Him – we just have to call upon the name of Jehovah – the great I AM. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. When the questions come – He is the answer....Jesus said – “Before Abraham was I AM”. So, when we ask...(whatever), Jesus responds...I AM!!
- The world is spinning out of control, who can make sense of it all? I AM
- What’s the point? I AM
- I’m taking care of everyone else, who’s taking care of me? I AM
- I don’t think I can make ends meet. I AM
- Who can put all these pieces back together again? I AM
- Who can I trust? I AM
- I need a rush! I AM!
- I need a fix! I AM
- I need a drink! I AM!
- I need hope! I AM!
- Nobody’s listening to me. I AM!
- I just need a second chance. I AM!
- I want security for my family. I AM!
- I don’t have anything to live for. I AM!
- I’ve done all I can and it seems like it is never enough. I AM!
- I Can’t! I AM!
- I’m weary. I AM!
- I’m looking for Mr. Right. I AM!
- My children need a daddy. I AM!
- Somebody hold me. I AM!
I AM the sustainer
I AM the life giver
I AM the rescuer
I AM the provider
I AM the hold-it-together guy
I AM the Lord and there is no other
I AM God and there is none beside me
At the end of the conversation with Jodi, she said they were going back to look down at the part of the trail that they covered in the darkness. I thought that was interesting. When we go through hard times and come out in victory, it is good to “look back” and see just exactly what our “I AM” brought us through – to review His Faithfulness.
I thanked Jodi for calling and sharing with me. I told her that I could not wait to answer the phone as soon as I heard the familiar ring tone “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”. She laughed SO loud and asked me “what did you just say!?” We both laughed! There simply is NO mountain high enough that our “I AM” cannot help us over, around or, sometimes, through!!
Remember – I am not, BUT...I know I AM!
Grace and Peace,
June
(The above questions, answers and the "I AM the..." are from a DVD by Louie Giglio.)
Posts
June, I can't figure out how to change this so that the date posted shows at the top, instead of the date created........but I'm working on it!
ReplyDeleteJudi
There, I got it! When I published it from the drafts, the date showed up as June 14th, so it was below the Scripture memory post. I finally found the button for changing the date! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the awesome reminder of I AM - He is all that we need, and more!!
That was great thanks for sharing. In our Wednesday morning Study we were incouraged to search for all the times "I AM" was in the passages we were studying and then to keep a look out for all the "I AM's". Out of the mouths of 2 0r 3 .... Seems like a point God is making with me.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Lynn