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. Recently, I watched the Ten Commandments movie again. 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 struck a cord and sent me digging into my Bible to learn more.

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 – Revelations 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

The 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 to encourage us daily.

Psalm 96:4 (NLT) Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods.

The “I am” verses also assure me when I think I am not enough in this life. When I am not able to do something, He 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).

By repeating a theme multiple times in the Bible, God calls us to the importance of those words. All the “I am” verses provides a powerful example of the 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

Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

Mission trips can be a blessing but they also can be a terrifying time. I usually find myself lying in bed the first night and asking God why me. I cry, I toss and turn, and I tell God I will never go on another mission trip. After that first night, the light of day eases the fears. I feel much better rested, and I am ready for the adventure to begin. In fact, I never want the trips to end once they get started. I love being on mission for God, just not on that first night.

But why do we go on mission trips? In Matthew 28:19-20, God issues His disciples a command to go and preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth. With these words, Christ set the expectation for His new church. Throughout the New Testament, we read the stories of Jesus’ companions as they lived out their life on the mission field.

Matthew 28:19 (NIV) Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Try to imagine our world without people sharing the Gospel. If Ananias had not responded to God’s call to go, would Paul have been converted? If Peter had said no to Jesus’ call to make him a fisher of men, would the church have been born? From twelve disciples, God built His church that has survived for thousands of years and spread around the world. And He calls each of us to continue spreading the gospel work today. We are all called to be His missionaries.

Romans 10:15 (NLT) And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

Our job is to plant the seeds of the Word of God. I picture us as a Johnny Appleseed, sowing the Word of God everywhere we go. And someday, God will allow those seeds to grow into mighty Christians. New Christians who in turn, will go out and spread the gospel. And one day, we will all stand before the throne of God and see all those who found salvation through the seeds of a missionary.

The summer season is upon us and now is the perfect time to participate in missions. There are many aspects of a mission trip. Join a team, prayer for the group going, help raise money for those traveling or donate money to the trip. Everyone has a role to play, and everyone is needed. God commands us all to GO.

Blessings,

Yvonne – blogger, speaker and author

Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

I was born Northern Ireland. Growing up, all my relatives lived overseas. I spent many summers traveling to visit family. I remember flying in prop planes across the ocean. The flight took much longer back in those days. I loved flying, that is until one day in the 1970s. My mom and I were flying from Belfast to Scotland to visit an aunt and uncle. The flight transpired during the height of “The Troubles” in Ireland. About halfway through the trip, we heard a tremendous bang, and the aircraft dropped thousands of feet. Several people on the flight passed out during the fall. The event terrified me. Since that day, I feared flying.

Psalm 46:1  (NIV)”God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

I continued to fly because I love to travel. Usually, I sit white-knuckled the entire plane ride waiting for the worst to happen. Years later, God called me to mission work. My first mission trip was only a short flight away in Haiti. However, as time wore on, God called me further from home. These trips meant longer plane rides and many tiny prop planes, which I feared the most. When the flight required a prop plane, my heart thumped in my chest as my hands started sweating. Sometimes the fear almost paralyzed me. I questioned God; why do you keep calling me when you know my terror of flying?

Isaiah 41:10 (ESV) “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Finally, one day, I felt the Lord impress upon me that He wanted me to trust Him fully. I had a choice to make, entirely rely on God when I flew or continue to travel with anxiety. I finally got tired of feeling afraid. I prayed for an entire week before one trip to help calm my dread of flying. Slowly, I felt a change. With perseverance, I finally released my doubt to God. Now, I can fly without that fear in the pit of my stomach. Praise the Lord!

Philippians 4:6 (ESV) “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

God is our refuge and strength. We all have concerns that dominate our thoughts and lives. Those worries can control us. Christ wants us to give Him our fears so we can spend our time focusing on the right things. I found one hundred verses in the Bible reassuring us not to fear because God is with us. He wants to carry the burden of our fears. The choice is ours.

Blessings,

Yvonne – blogger, speaker and author

Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”