As Christians, we use many metaphors and analogies to describe our relationship with God. Commonly, you may hear Christians speak of God as our heavenly Father and we are His children (John 1:12). Some refer to God as their lover, who is passionately and relentlessly pursuing them with His love. Others consider God as their close or even best friend with whom they can share everything. Some see God as the Great Shepherd and we are his lost sheep, who he loves so much that he will leave the flock to find me (John 10). Others like to think of God as the Vine and we are his branches, bearing fruit only when we are connected to the Vine (John 15). In our worship songs, we often refer to God as our creator, healer, redeemer, and protector. These paint a lovely picture of God, but these pictures are incomplete.
In Exodus 3, Moses asks God how to respond to the Israelites when questioned about who sent him. God responds, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you'” (Exodus 3:14). I used to think, hm, what a silly, unfinished answer to a real question. Although I am contains both a noun and a verb it is usually followed by an adjective or adverb. At times I’ve felt like God was just being cryptic when I’ve asked him real questions and received the answer I am.
Recently, I’ve been asking God some difficult questions about some inexplicable and hidden things of the Lord and the resounding answer that comes back is “I am.” My first inkling was to ask God to complete the sentence, but I have come to realize that I am captures more than any word to fill in the blank could ever come close to describing. You see, God is. Before the creation of the world, He was. And forever, He always will be. The God of the Biblical heroes, who is actively changing me every day and knows my future, never changes (Hebrews 13:8). And His existence and character is beyond the limitations of descriptive words. No metaphor, analogy, or adjective can completely capture the character of God.
Even when I don’t understand the brokenness of this world and cannot explain suffering, I choose to worship with a holy reverence for my God. So when I sing Revelation Song, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty. Who was and is and is to come. With all creation I sing, praise to the King of kings. You are my everything. I will adore you.” I am reminded of who God is, complete and sufficient without me. God does not owe me an explanation. God does not answer to me; I answer to Him. If I were able to explain away the things of the world, I would be a god. I don’t think I ever will understand, other than that God has a bigger perspective and vision and He will magnify His glory through our life circumstances and situations, even the negative ones. I cannot begin to truly fathom what this means or what the ramifications of this statement are, but I still have to believe and trust in this truth. So, while my heart breaks and I cry myself to sleep, I am also falling to my knees in complete humility and wonder at who God is, His holiness, perfection, and majesty.
In our efforts to make God personable and intimate, we have lost sight of the essence of God’s character, His godliness. When I remember who God is and consequently, who I am in Christ, I cannot help but fall in the presence of Almighty God. Matt Redman’s song Facedown has been on repeat in my head for the last week. The chorus says, “I fall facedown as your glory shines around… King of glory shine around.” This should be our response when we come before God, to fall facedown, out of reverence, honor, and as a sign of submission, recognizing that God’s glory far outweighs the brokenness of this world.
