11/27 The Great "I AM"

THE “I AM”
Lesson 1

Genesis 15

“After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” (v. 1)

This is the first of the “I AM” claims in the Bible by the Lord our God. Though the “I AM” has not been technically introduced yet, we see Him telling Abraham that He is a shield unto him, his “exceeding great reward.” He is all that and more to each of us too. There are so many things in the Bible that God “is” that we can by no means cover all of them, but I hope to show the glory of God by dealing with some significant aspects of His nature, and with many of His “I AM’s”. What greater reward could we ask than that which we have in the Lord? The Lord is a shield from the darts of Satan, to keep us day by day along the way; He is a shield from the attacks of enemies and from unseen trials; The Lord is our shield from all ailments and plagues. He is there for our protection. This promise to Abraham is our promise too, by faith, as all of them are.

The Lord tells us all what He said to Abraham, saying “Fear not… I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” That “exceeding great reward” entails many things, all the blessings of God, and they are all for us. Part of that is a relationship with the God of gods and the Lord of lords. It is amazing that such a superior Being as God would even consider wanting to know such measly and pitiful creatures as men. Can you imagine that? The Creator of Heaven and earth, the Almighty God, the great and powerful God of gods wants to love us, and to know that we love Him. In other societies, among the heathen nations, their gods were demeaning, and demanding of them sacrifices of human flesh, and all sorts of things. They had to appease the “gods” before they could ask anything of them, and then they may not get it anyway, if their “gods” were not in a good mood! What a way to live. What a God we have that will condescend to our level, and meet our needs, no matter how impossible they seem to be. He indeed is our “exceeding great reward.” That great reward is free for all of us. It comes through the avenue of grace. This grace supercedes all graces, and overcomes all obstacles. It enriches us to the extreme, and blesses us beyond belief. With this grace, we can actually, and totally “fear not”, and walk in the assurance of God’s love.