Sometimes, I breeze past a statement in the Bible and never really see it. Then at other times, a verse pops off the page and burrows deep into my heart. I watched the Ten Commandments movie again, and the scene with Moses at the burning bush caught my attention. When Moses asks for the name of the Lord, He responds, “I Am Who I Am,” (Exodus 3:14). For some reason, those words caused me to pause. What does God mean by these words? I went digging into my Bible to learn more.
“I AM” in the Bible
God wants us to have a deeper understanding of His nature. The “I Am” statement appears 719 times in the Bible. Each time the words surface, we get to peek into the incredible qualities of God. From the “I am the alpha and the omega” (Revelation 1:8) to the “I am coming again” (Revelation 3:11), God shows us He is everything we will ever need in our lives.
Here are some of my favorites “I am” verses:
- I am the one who lives – Revelation 1:18
- I am the one who heals – Exodus 15:26
- I am merciful – Exodus 22:27
- I am with you – Isaiah 41:10
- I am the one who comforts – Isaiah 51:12
- I am the bread of life – John 6:48
- I am the light of the world – John 8:12
- I am the good shepherd – John 10:11
- I am Holy – Leviticus 11:45
- I am God Almighty – Genesis 17:1
Why Are They Important?
These words tell us God is holy and deserving of our worship. But, He also cares about us. He heals, comforts, and provides for our daily needs. The creator of the universe loves the created enough to show us His nature. He wants these names to encourage us daily.
Although not direct “I am” statements, God also tells us He is the living water (John 4:14) and the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). Add in the bread of life and light of the world verses from above, and we learn God provides us with everything we need; Water, air, food, and light. In other words, we need Jesus to live.
[bctt tweet= “Through the I am statements, God shows us He is everything we will ever need in our lives.”]
The “I am” verses also assure me when I think I am not enough in this world. When I am not able to do something, God can (Matthew 19:26). When I am weak, He is strong (2 Corinthians 12:10). When I am lost for words to say, God provides the Holy Spirit (Luke 12:12). And finally, when I am unworthy, He shows me my value by dying for my sins (Romans 5:8).
Psalm 96:4 (NLT) Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods.
When we find something that is repeated in the Bible, God wants us to see the importance of those words. All the “I am” verses provides a powerful example of this use of themes. God wants to be everything to us by showing us He is the one true God, and He is able.
Blessings,
Yvonne – blogger, speaker, and author
100% of the proceeds from sales of my book, Turning Mountains Into Molehills, go to help the orphans at Orphan Relief Effort, Inc
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Amen.
I love the reminder that we are not enough. Only God fulfills every need and desire, and only He is truly enough!
Thanks Emily. And He is more than enough to provide everything we need. God bless
This is so important… I’m glad you blogged on the “I am” statements. Sadly, some famous preachers have taken the “I Am” statements and have applied it to people. I understand that sometimes we need positive statements, and we need a good self-esteem. However, the word “I am” biblically should always be applied to who God is, not who we are! But I will get off my soapbox and simply say, “Thank you.” We worship the Great I Am!
So very true Lisa. He was and is and will always be the Great I Am. Thanks and God bless
Such an encouragement, Yvonne! I love to hear God’s names and attributes and “I Am” is such a powerful name. Truly, He is our all in all! Thank you for reminding of this great truth!
Thanks so much Melissa. I appreciate your thoughts. God bless
Beautiful post, Yvonne! You captured the essence of who God is by sharing those unique and special passages. This deeply touched my heart. I love it when you dig into something and lay it all out here for us. Well done!
Thanks Melinda. I love it when God reveals things to me so I share. He wants the world to know He is our everything. He is the Great I Am. God bless
And I love how the name, I AM,” is relational – God revealed it in answer to Moses’ question regarding who he should tell the people God is.
So true and a great way to look at it. It is very relational. Thanks and God bless (glad to see you back too).
That “I am” concept popped out at me recently, too! I find God’s all-powerful I-Am nature to be such a comfort, especially when things are rough. He is our rock, our comfort, our bread of life, our everything.
Amen. He gets me through so many rough things. I can’t imagine how I would make it without Him. Thanks and God bless
God’s “I AM” statements bring me peace and comfort, build my faith, and help me keep the proper perspective of who I am and who He is!
💝 thanks Karen. The name of I am does offer us so many things that the world can not provide. God bless