God's Not "Doing" Anything

 

I sat as far in the corner as I could, hoping to escape any traffic that might come into the room. The lights were down low with only a ray of sun peeking through the window overlooking the well-manicured gardens. Thankful that we worked in a place with a chapel, usually two or three others, hoping to get a break from the workday hubbub, ventured in during lunch.

Some people are regenerated by being with other people. Though some of my friends might say different, I am more the introvert, who regenerates by getting alone and especially alone with God.  The chapel is where I spent most lunch hours. On this day, I had left my cubicle just in time to beat the one o’clock regulars and had gotten to sit in my favorite seat.

Ahhhh. Lord, this is so good.  Generally I came with a list of things I wanted to talk to God about; questions that needed answers, wisdom for a specific project, intervention for a co-worker or family member. But this time, I came with no agenda at all. I just wanted to hang out with God. No formalities today, Lord. I just want to be with You.

As if to prepare God for something He didn’t know was coming, I said, "God,today I am just going to talk to you like my best friend."  I paused to think how I would normally start a conversation with a girlfriend. "So...God….what’cha doing?"

I honestly believed that when I drew close to God, He drew close to me. But I went into this discourse with the intent of just speaking directly out of my heart to God, expecting nothing more than the warm, comforting sense of His presence that normally accompanied our times together.

 

Yes, I even believed that when I listened, God spoke to me, just not necessarily to my natural understanding. But this time, God had something else in mind. By the time I got to the end of the sentence, I heard a response. Not out loud, but from the inside out. I didn’t have time to think it myself, yet it came like a thought.

"I’m not doing. I AM."

"What? Wow!" I said it out loud before I could stop myself.  I didn’t know whether I was more surprised that I heard an answer so clearly, or that He answered at all.

 

Excitement rose in my heart. I looked around to see if anybody was paying attention, or maybe they heard it too. Denton, one of the other one o’clock regulars was kneeling by a chair on the other side of the room. He didn’t move. A group of three ladies were praying together in the back. Everyone was pre- occupied with their own thing; God had spoken directly to me.

Okay, this is good, God. But what do you mean? Knowing I had a tendency to be a bit impetuous, I did not want to assume I understood. This time, I wanted to really understand what God meant, not just what He said.

I'm not doing. I AM? I sat there trying to recall the "I AM" statements in the bible.

I remembered when Moses wanted to tell the children of Israel the name of the One who sent Him as their deliverer. They were in great distress and had been for hundreds of years. Their future, if they had one at all, looked bleak, to say the least. God simply replied, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’" ¹

I sat there, pondering, and waiting. I begin to realize something. That covers every need they had—not just in their present situation, but every need they would ever have…forever. I wiggled around in my chair, my body flushed with exhilarating heat. What I had only read about before was becoming alive in my heart.

I think I get it! God is I AM!!! His work is finished. He's not waiting for something to happen so He can go find a way to fix it. The mere fact that He exists eternally, with ALL power, and pure love has already settled every issue—for them, and for us now. 

And through Christ, He has given us a blank check from His heavenly account of endless resources, endorsed with His own blood—it can’t bounce. And He is saying to His children, "What do you need?" If it’s according to My Word, just fill in the blank.

He’s saying, If you’re sick, I AM…Jehovah Rapha; feeling unworthy, I AM…Jehovah Tsidkenu, your righteousness; Are you disturbed? I AM…Jehovah Shalom, your peace; No really, I AM!

That’s not your problem? No worries, there’s more. Whatever, whenever, whoever your problem, I AM has already covered it--now and forever!

I turned toward the window allowing the sunrays to bathe my face. My lunch break was ending far too soon. Looking at my watch, I took a deep, contented breath and walked quickly back to my department.


1 Exodus 3:14 NASB