exodus 3:14-15
most of us know the story. we know that a transcendent God appeared in the form of a burning bush to speak to Moses and command him to lead the Israelites out of captivity.
okay, hold up. pause. i know that what I'm about to say is ridiculous, but i find the STRANGEST part of this exchange between God and Moses is the very last words God says to Him in this passage.
"this is my eternal name. my name to remember for all generations." (NLT)
i think it's funny, strange, and altogether odd that, um, well, the GOD of the Universe…
the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth.
the Creator of human life.
the One who knew us before we were formed in our mother's womb.
the one who placed every single star in the sky.
the one who gives breath and who takes it away….
(just to name a few…)
yes. that GOD…OUR GOD...
would stop and speak those words to Moses.
remember.
"this has always been my name. and this is always how i'll be known." (MSG)
"this is my name forever. by this name i am to remembered by all people for all time." (NLV)
why would our GOD tell us to remember HIS NAME?
i'll give you the answer. (hint: it's not rocket science.)
he breathed these very words to Moses, to the people of Israel and to you and I because…
we forget. (are you surprised? that is some heavy revelation right there.)
i'm a typical writer, so forgive me, but I looked up the definition of the word "forget."
i found two that NAIL what we do to God…sometimes daily, weekly, monthly and yearly.
we forget Him.
"be unable to recall."
"to not mention, or to leave unnoticed."
if i'm being honest, and why wouldn't I be because this is my own personal blog, i'm writing today to pour out my heart in hopes that my words and His words would encourage you.
i'd hope to encourage you, because for the past few months, i have been on a journey walking through some of the darkest places i've ever been with what seems like…just myself.
that is not the truth.
but it's how i've felt.
that's how i felt...until one day not that long ago when i was sitting with a, pouring my heart out to God.
well that's what I was trying to do, anyway. but it wasn't happening. i had SO much to say i was screaming on the inside, but the pen wouldn't write. it WOULDN'T write.
until all of the sudden it did write.
written October 16th, 2014
"when I am something, I am in it's entirety. When I am in something, I am it in it's entirety. When I say something, I mean it in it's entirety. When I look for someone, I look for them in their entirety. I am the Lord. And I do nothing half heartedly."
then the gentlest whisper came as the smallest tear ran down my face.
Lord, I did not write this.
"I know."
let's talk about the presence of Jesus knocking the wind out of you.
see, for the past few months, life has been…well, it has been one punch to the gut after another.
physical ailments.
financial struggle.
almost EVERY single one of my friends moving away.
a diagnosis spoken over my body.
other diagnoses spoken over others in my life.
| loneliness. depression. anxiety. struggle. fear. panic. |
up until the day the Lord spoke to me through written words,
my life was focused on my circumstances.
yes, He was still my God, i still loved and believed in Jesus…but a part of me felt not only like He had left me, but that He had kind of forgotten me.
but see, the truth was, not that God had forgotten me, but that i had become so entranced in my circumstances that i had forgotten Him.
my life was clouded with all of my issues and i was spending every waking second worrying about my circumstances that i…
physical ailments.
financial struggle.
almost EVERY single one of my friends moving away.
a diagnosis spoken over my body.
other diagnoses spoken over others in my life.
| loneliness. depression. anxiety. struggle. fear. panic. |
up until the day the Lord spoke to me through written words,
my life was focused on my circumstances.
yes, He was still my God, i still loved and believed in Jesus…but a part of me felt not only like He had left me, but that He had kind of forgotten me.
but see, the truth was, not that God had forgotten me, but that i had become so entranced in my circumstances that i had forgotten Him.
my life was clouded with all of my issues and i was spending every waking second worrying about my circumstances that i…
was unable to recall Him.
left him unnoticed, and didn't bother to mention Him or include Him in my circumstances.
this grieves God.
obviously, that day i just didn't feel like i could take one more breath, where i was fed up wondering where He was in the midst of all of this, the Holy Spirit graciously revealed His answer.
the Word always answers us. it always shows God's heart towards us.
and His heart NEVER changes.
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." HEBREWS 13:8
um, hello. Caitlin. i'm right here. i've been here all along. i said I would never leave you or forsake you. REMEMBER?
honestly, it sounds silly to say because, as Christians should we really have to REMEMBER to remember God in our day to day?
i mean, a lot of people today forget God when things are going great… that's why so many people don't think they need "religion" or Jesus. my needs are being met, so why do I need to go to Church?
but quite honestly, in my opinion, i think God knew that it would be harder for us to remember Him when everything is falling apart.
all we have to do is forget.
all we have to do is distance ourselves from our Bible for one second. to stop praying one morning. to stop talking to God because we feel like we don't have anything GOOD to say.
i mean, it is the enemy's job to steal kill & destroy, after all.
the one thing he desires to destroy the most?
RELATIONSHIP.
why would he relent in trying to destroy the greatest relationship we all have…
the one between us and God?
so in this moment of God speaking to me…
i realized one thing.
you know what's more important and more powerful over our circumstances?
GOD. (another shocker, i know.)
when He is involved in our lives, He is involved in it's entirety.
that never changes.
the great i am.
everything in the WORLD that we need Him to be. ALL that He says He is.
he doesn't change when our finances are going whack.
he's still our provider. our daily bread.
he doesn't change when we feel lonely.
he's with us always.
he doesn't change when we are feeling depressed.
he's walking WITH us through our deepest darkness, by our side, with his arms wrapped around us, not pointing his finger in condemnation.
he doesn't change when we are unsure of the future, doubting ourself, filled with anxiety.
he knows everything we don't know, and he promises to lead us graciously, day by day. he asks us to cast our burdens and worries on him, because He can HANDLE it.
see, this is how we overcome sinking away in our circumstances.
we immerse ourselves in the Word of God and rely on it's TRUTH and it's POWER.
NO MATTER WHAT.
we don't SHY away from talking to our heavenly FATHER, the GREAT i AM, our ALL powerful, ALL knowing, good, gracious, loving, detail orientated, daddy in Heaven.
we talk. we INVOLVE him. we RECALL him. we include Him. in every detail.
he does nothing half heartedly. He is not our God some of the time, and slinks away other times.
He is IN all, ABOVE all, throughout ALL, and working in everything.
great. extreme. intense. working for our good.
a relationship is a two way street. He is ready. Ready to listen, ready to ACT. Ready to fight on our behalf.
but it is our JOB to remember Him. to call on Him. to FIGHT for our relationship with Him.
he is in all of it with us.
he is everything.
power.
hope.
love.
truth.
healing.
refuge.
safety.
PAUSE. remember him.
our circumstances CHANGE.
HE doesn't.
His goodness doesn't. His word doesn't. His promises remain.
wherever you are today, whatever you are walking through, your LiFE is in the hands of the great i am.
remember him.
xoxo,
caitlin
this grieves God.
obviously, that day i just didn't feel like i could take one more breath, where i was fed up wondering where He was in the midst of all of this, the Holy Spirit graciously revealed His answer.
the Word always answers us. it always shows God's heart towards us.
and His heart NEVER changes.
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." HEBREWS 13:8
um, hello. Caitlin. i'm right here. i've been here all along. i said I would never leave you or forsake you. REMEMBER?
honestly, it sounds silly to say because, as Christians should we really have to REMEMBER to remember God in our day to day?
i mean, a lot of people today forget God when things are going great… that's why so many people don't think they need "religion" or Jesus. my needs are being met, so why do I need to go to Church?
but quite honestly, in my opinion, i think God knew that it would be harder for us to remember Him when everything is falling apart.
all we have to do is forget.
all we have to do is distance ourselves from our Bible for one second. to stop praying one morning. to stop talking to God because we feel like we don't have anything GOOD to say.
i mean, it is the enemy's job to steal kill & destroy, after all.
the one thing he desires to destroy the most?
RELATIONSHIP.
why would he relent in trying to destroy the greatest relationship we all have…
the one between us and God?
so in this moment of God speaking to me…
i realized one thing.
you know what's more important and more powerful over our circumstances?
GOD. (another shocker, i know.)
when He is involved in our lives, He is involved in it's entirety.
that never changes.
the great i am.
everything in the WORLD that we need Him to be. ALL that He says He is.
he doesn't change when our finances are going whack.
he's still our provider. our daily bread.
he doesn't change when we feel lonely.
he's with us always.
he doesn't change when we are feeling depressed.
he's walking WITH us through our deepest darkness, by our side, with his arms wrapped around us, not pointing his finger in condemnation.
he doesn't change when we are unsure of the future, doubting ourself, filled with anxiety.
he knows everything we don't know, and he promises to lead us graciously, day by day. he asks us to cast our burdens and worries on him, because He can HANDLE it.
see, this is how we overcome sinking away in our circumstances.
we immerse ourselves in the Word of God and rely on it's TRUTH and it's POWER.
NO MATTER WHAT.
we don't SHY away from talking to our heavenly FATHER, the GREAT i AM, our ALL powerful, ALL knowing, good, gracious, loving, detail orientated, daddy in Heaven.
we talk. we INVOLVE him. we RECALL him. we include Him. in every detail.
he does nothing half heartedly. He is not our God some of the time, and slinks away other times.
He is IN all, ABOVE all, throughout ALL, and working in everything.
great. extreme. intense. working for our good.
a relationship is a two way street. He is ready. Ready to listen, ready to ACT. Ready to fight on our behalf.
but it is our JOB to remember Him. to call on Him. to FIGHT for our relationship with Him.
he is in all of it with us.
he is everything.
power.
hope.
love.
truth.
healing.
refuge.
safety.
PAUSE. remember him.
our circumstances CHANGE.
HE doesn't.
His goodness doesn't. His word doesn't. His promises remain.
wherever you are today, whatever you are walking through, your LiFE is in the hands of the great i am.
remember him.
xoxo,
caitlin
