August 6 - The Great I Am

 Read today’s texts first: Habakkuk 1-3; John 8

MAXIMize YOUR DAY

The Bible is filled with grand stories, unexpected plot twists, and heroes who deliver the perfect line
at the perfect moment.

I love a good book, but there is nothing like The Good Book! For enjoyment or relaxation I tend to read fiction, mostly because the stories are larger than life. They are exciting, stirring up my imagination in ways real life typically can’t. But God’s Word is real, it’s absolutely true, and yet it excites like no work of fiction could. The Bible is filled with grand stories, unexpected plot twists, and heroes who deliver the perfect line at the perfect moment. The end of John 8 is one of those moments; I’ve read it countless times, and it still brings me to the edge of my seat.

First, I read through Habakkuk, wondering how this prophet can be so bold in questioning God’s ways. If God wants to use an enemy nation to bring judgment and correction to Israel, how dare you second guess Him. But Habakkuk’s heart is right, He does love God, and he qualifies his questions with a resolve to accept whatever God chooses to do: Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour. The Sovereign Lord is my strength (3:18,19a). It seems God is very patient with those who love Him, cutting Habakkuk a lot of slack for what could be construed as insolence.

Not so with the self-righteous Jews in John 8. They too are questioning Jesus, but with a whole different agenda. They may have been the same people Jesus embarrassed when some religious leaders challenged Him to stone the woman caught in adultery. When He countered with, If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her, they knew they were in trouble. The only one worthy to throw that stone was Jesus and He was busy writing on the ground with His finger, probably each of their names beside their latest sin!

The rest of the chapter is this beautiful banter: the Jews trying to trap Jesus into blasphemy, and Jesus deliberately baiting them. When it came down to “my father/your father,” Jesus set up His clincher by mentioning He had hung out with their father Abraham. When they responded with You are not yet fifty years old...and you have seen Abraham? Jesus came back with this zinger - wait for it, I tell you the truth...before Abraham was born, I am (8:57,58).  I love that line!

“Lord, I’ve questioned You before and You have always been patient with me. But I do trust You, knowing You are the Great I Am, the eternal One who knows all, sees all, from beginning to end!”