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The following is an excerpt from Chapter 1 of our newest interactive Bible study book, I already AM: Testimonies of Belief in the Great I AM
Can someone else be in charge? My sanity demands it.
Same song, tenth verse. The broken record rang in my ears as I lamented the current state of affairs. Others were tired of hearing it and I was tired of saying it!
Exhaustion from the weight of life’s stresses clouded my thinking as I attempted to check something off my to-do list and seek a way out from under it. I had to find a solution!
A friend recommended the concept of uni-tasking: working on one thing at a time and a focused approach to that one task at hand before moving on to the next.
When I first heard this suggestion, I cringed at the prick to my pride. I used to pride myself on my multi-tasking. But my “expert” multi-tasking skills were failing me. And were they really worth bragging about?
I heard myself fall into the same trap of repetitive frustration and complaint. Others cringed on the other end of the phone as I broached the subject. Why did my words ring negative? Why were my inadequacies glaringly evident?
My prayers cried out in desperation to God. Desperate to get off the crazy train. Anxious to disembark the spinning carousel. My thoughts were my greater enemy than the daunting tasks at hand; the overwhelmed frustrations became mountains in my mind.
My rambling cries to God culminated in a myriad of questions, “Can someone else be in charge? I don’t want to be responsible. Can I turn over the reins? Can someone tell me what to do next? How do I discern the priorities? Maybe it will all stop long enough for me to catch my breath...”
My questions continued in a torrent of words and emotions. And I came back to my initial question, “Can someone else be in charge?”
After a deep sigh, relieved to express my deepest longing to God, grateful for the ability to put it into words, He responded. A still small voice, a quieting of my spirit, a gentle embrace with a patient chuckle ushered me into the clear statement, “I already am. I AM.”
Did you catch that?! The Great I AM was already in charge of my life, of my situation, of my world—the same world that I felt was spinning out of control.
The One who was and is and is to come was already in charge, taking care of things in ways I could not comprehend. He’s got this. I can let go. I should let go. I will let go. And let Him lead.
No matter what the questions you are asking, the problems you are facing, the doubts, fears, confusion, or frustration that clouds your mind, I invite you to hear the gentle, welcoming response of our eternal Father, “I already AM.”
Your question may be expressed with different words. What is one of the questions you are facing in your own life?
What is your response to hearing “I already AM” from the Great I AM in the midst of your current life circumstances?
Even if you don’t yet hear an answer, may we rest in the promise of the Great I AM and dwell in His presence today. He’s already there. And He’s got this. Whatever it is.
To continue this study, order your own copy of I already AM: Testimonies of Belief in the Great I AM
And we would love for you to join us in connecting more deeply to the I AM and to one another at our Destination Retreat, November 1-3. Early Registration ends October 16 (or pay an additional $15). Remember, we are modeling a bilingual event this year, so invite your Spanish-speaking friends!
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Written by Emma Grace Steil, Ministry Assisstant to Iron Rose Sister Ministries, and Spanish student at Harding University
Esther was born into a time and place where she and her people were in exile in the land of Persia. The Jewish people were by some as less than, and by others as equals. That is still held true in all cultures between people of native descent and those whose ancestry is of another origin. During the reign of King Xerxes he banishes his queen from his kingdom, and begins to look for a new queen.
He invites many young virgins into his palace for what is, essentially, a beauty pageant to find who the new queen will be. Esther proves to be the most beautiful in heart and in her physical beauty out of all the other women brought into the palace, meanwhile, she is keeping her identity as a Jew a secret. Notice, she is not considered less than by anyone in the palace, but because of the beauty in her heart she is awarded a high position in the kingdom of Persia, a land she did not come from.
Meanwhile, Mordecai (cousin and caretaker of Esther) is in a fight with the Second in Command of Persia, Haman. Haman knows that Mordecai is a Jew, and he despises Mordecai because of where he comes from, his customs, and the way he worships. When Mordecai refuses to bow to Haman, Haman decides to not only kill Mordecai, but all Jews.
Haman approaches King Xerxes hoping to pass his law to kill the Jewish people. King Xerxes passes the law with the seal of his signet ring (this is a permanent promise that even the king cannot retract). Through her smarts and beauty she reveals to King Xerxes that she is one of the people Haman is trying to kill. The king becomes enraged and Haman is killed because the plan he made would have killed the queen, Esther. The king decided to make another signet-ring-promise that the Jewish people would be able to fight back on the day of their planned annihilation.
My favorite part about the story was that the King and Haman were blind to the fact that Esther was a part of the Jewish people that they had planned to kill. The king did not seem to care where Esther came from, but loved her for who she was and was able to see past what differences that might have separated them. Esther came into a position of power because God put her there. He made it possible for Esther to live the life of a hero in a land where her people were exiled. This story shows that though we may appear different, physically, we are truly defined by what is in our hearts.
God can use anyone, and God loves everyone. He does both these things despite who we are (by earthly terms), and what we have done. He always has and always will.