I Am With You In the Desert | I Am: The God Who Gets Close | Menlo Church Live Stream

Devotional

Day 1: God is with you in the desert, not just at the destination.

We often live our lives in a state of constant anticipation, treating our present circumstances as a waiting room for the life we dream of. We can mistakenly believe that God is waiting for us at some future finish line we have constructed for ourselves. The profound and disorienting truth is that God is not waiting for us at a distant destination. He is present with us right here, right now, in the midst of our current circumstances, whatever they may be. He meets us in the desert places of our lives. [28:37]

Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey.” (Exodus 3:7-8a, ESV)

Reflection: Where in your life are you currently living in the "future tense," assuming that a closer connection with God or a sense of His peace is only possible after a certain goal is achieved or a circumstance changes? What would it look like to acknowledge His presence with you in the midst of your current reality today?

Day 2: Cultivate curiosity to notice God’s presence in the ordinary.

Divine encounters often happen on the most ordinary of days, in the middle of our routine tasks and responsibilities. God’s voice is not absent; it is often waiting for our attention. The moment that changed everything for Moses began when he decided to turn aside from his path to observe a curious sight. He allowed his curiosity to override his productivity and his schedule. This intentional pause created the space for God to speak. How many similar moments might we miss in our own busyness? [36:03]

And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” (Exodus 3:2-4a, ESV)

Reflection: This week, where can you intentionally "turn aside" from your routine or your mental to-do list to simply observe and be curious? What is one practical way you can create a moment of pause to become more aware of God’s potential presence in your ordinary day?

Day 3: The desert dismantles our false self to reveal our true identity.

The wilderness experiences of life have a way of stripping away the layers of protection and false identity we accumulate. We often come before God while still clinging to our status, accomplishments, or self-constructed sense of control. The desert clarifies what is real and removes what deforms us, forcing us to confront who we truly are without our props. It is in this place of humility and honesty that we can finally meet God on His terms and allow our identity to be shaped by Him. [39:57]

Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5, ESV)

Reflection: What "sandals"—what layers of self-protection, pride, or false identity—might God be inviting you to remove so you can stand honestly before Him on the holy ground of His presence? What is one thing you rely on for your sense of self that the desert might be dismantling?

Day 4: Your qualification is found in God’s presence, not your resume.

When faced with a God-sized calling, our natural tendency is to look at our own resume, focusing on our gaps, failures, and inadequacies. We listen to the voice of disqualification, believing we are not enough for the task. God’s response is not to argue with our self-assessment or give us a pep talk about our hidden skills. Instead, He reorients us entirely away from ourselves and toward His enduring, empowering presence. Our primary qualification is not our ability, but His "with-ness." [45:26]

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He said, “But I will be with you.” (Exodus 3:11-12a, ESV)

Reflection: Where are you currently feeling disqualified or inadequate, perhaps in a relationship, a responsibility, or a calling? How might your perspective shift if you focused less on your own resume and more on the reality that God promises to be with you in it?

Day 5: God’s name declares His eternal, present-tense presence with you.

The name God reveals to Moses, "I AM," is a declaration of His eternal, self-existent, and uncontainable nature. It is a present-tense reality. This means that the God who met Moses in the desert is the same God who is with you in your desert today. He is not defined by your timeline or limited by your circumstances. He is steady when you are not. The desert may try to rename you based on your struggle, but God calls you by name, affirming your true identity as His beloved child. [52:29]

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14, ESV)

Reflection: What name is your current "desert"—your struggle, pain, or waiting—trying to give you (e.g., failure, disappointment, alone)? How does the truth that God is the great "I AM," present with you right now, challenge that false name and reaffirm your true identity in Him?

Sermon Summary

In a culture fixated on arrival and future achievement, the life in constant “future tense” becomes a commute toward a self-made promised land. People assume rest, meaning, and closeness to God will arrive only after the next milestone, but when plans fall apart the map breaks and life can feel like a desert. Exodus 3 provides a counter-narrative: God meets people in the middle of ordinary, painful, and stalled seasons rather than waiting at the destination. Moses’s life unfolds in three forty-year chapters—royal privilege, violent exile, and decades as an unremarkable shepherd—and the crucial moment comes not on a mountaintop of success but beside a burning bush that does not burn up. That encounter hinges on attention: the voice of God waits until Moses stops, turns aside, and listens.

The desert functions both as a dismantler and a clarifier. It strips away protective layers—status, control, reputation—so persons can feel what is real and see themselves without insulation. Removing sandals symbolizes abandoning false security to stand on holy ground shaped by God’s presence. The passage reveals God’s posture toward suffering: active, attentive, and coming down into the mess to deliver and lead people toward a promised future not defined by a ZIP code or title but by God’s presence. When Moses protests that he is unqualified, the response reframes the basis of mission: not human resume but divine accompaniment—“I will be with you.”

God identifies himself with the covenant name rooted in “I am,” signaling uncaused, eternal presence and an everlasting readiness to act. The desert does not disqualify; it often prepares and reveals the true destination—being known and led by the God who comes down. During the season of Lent, this motif invites honest attention to current deserts: the places of loneliness, failure, grief, or waiting. Those places can become the setting where God calls by name, reshapes identity, and offers presence now rather than at an imagined finish line.

Key Takeaways

1. God meets in the desert The divine presence often arrives amid stalled seasons and ordinary hardship, not after achievement. Desert experiences expose pain and create space where attention can turn away from performance to presence. Rather than signaling abandonment, the wilderness becomes the locale where deliverance and vocation take shape through divine proximity. [49:33]
2. Pause to notice burning bushes Attention matters more than activity; God’s voice frequently waits until a person stops to look. Pausing interrupts productivity-driven avoidance and opens ordinary moments to extraordinary encounters. Small deviations from a to-do list can become the turning point between missed signs and life-altering callings. [36:03]
3. Desert strips false identities Wilderness seasons peel away protective layers—titles, resumes, and self-reliance—so true character and dependence emerge. Removal of those layers allows honest seeing: of one’s limits and of God’s sustaining presence. The loss of former identities clears room for being reshaped by God’s reality rather than by circumstances. [39:57]
4. I Am: God comes down The covenant name reveals a God who enters human history rather than requiring humans to ascend. Divine action flows toward suffering—seeing, hearing, and coming down to deliver—so mission roots in accompaniment, not in human qualification. The revelation of “I Am” anchors hope in an unending presence that outlasts every timeline. [46:55]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[25:53] - Obsessed with arrival
[26:24] - Living in future tense
[29:07] - Beginning Lent: I Am series
[31:57] - Moses: three life stages
[33:12] - Forty years in Midian
[34:39] - Burning bush encounter
[36:03] - Stop, turn, and listen
[38:32] - Holy ground and sandals
[40:31] - God sees and acts
[45:05] - Presence over qualifications
[46:55] - The meaning of “I Am”
[49:33] - Desert refines, not disqualifies
[53:24] - Come to God in the desert

Bible Study Guide

Based on the sermon summary and transcript provided, here is a Bible study discussion guide.

Bible Reading
*Exodus 3:1-15 (ESV)*
1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
7 Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.

Observation questions

In verses 1-3, what was Moses doing when he first noticed the burning bush, and what specific action did he take that preceded God speaking to him?
What reason does God give in verse 5 for instructing Moses to remove his sandals?
In verses 7-8, list the four active verbs God uses to describe His response to the suffering of the Israelites in Egypt.
How does God answer Moses’s two questions about his own identity (v. 11) and God’s identity (v. 13)?

Interpretation questions

Why might a desert wilderness be a significant location for God to reveal Himself and call someone, rather than a place of power or success? [33:12]
The act of removing sandals symbolized abandoning a layer of protection and false security to stand on holy ground shaped by God’s presence. [39:11] What are the modern equivalents of "sandals" that we use to insulate ourselves from feeling what is real in our lives and from encountering God on His terms?
When Moses protests his qualifications, God’s response reframes the basis of mission: not human resume but divine accompaniment. [45:05] How does this shift the focus from our ability to God’s presence, and why is that so crucial in moments of feeling unqualified?
God identifies Himself with the name “I AM,” signaling an eternal, uncaused presence. [48:25] How does this name provide a different foundation for hope than a promise that is tied to a specific timeline or set of circumstances?

Application questions

We live in a constant state of future tense, treating our current lives like a commute to the life we really dream of. [26:24] What is one area of your life right now where you are tempted to believe that rest, meaning, or closeness to God will only arrive "when" a certain milestone is achieved?
Attention matters more than activity; God’s voice frequently waits until a person stops to look. [36:03] What is one practical way you can intentionally "turn aside" from your routine this week to create space to notice where God might be at work in your ordinary moments?
Wilderness seasons peel away protective layers—titles, resumes, and self-reliance—so true character and dependence emerge. [39:57] What is one layer of your identity or one source of false security that a current or recent "desert" experience has exposed or stripped away?
The desert does not disqualify you; it's where God often delivers your destination. [49:33] How can the truth that God meets you in your current desert, not at some future finish line, change the way you pray about and engage with a difficult situation you are walking through right now?
God does not meet Moses in the desert and ask for a resume; He calls him by name. [52:05] What name is your desert trying to give you (e.g., failure, disappointment, burnout)? How can you actively receive the name God gives you instead—son or daughter—as your true identity today?
The destination is not a ZIP code or a title; it's knowing that God is with you. [52:29] In light of this, what would it look like to measure the success of your current season not by what you achieve, but by your awareness of and reliance on God's presence with you?

Sermon Clips

See, we spend our whole lives leaning forward, trying to get a head start, get around the slower car, choose the right lane, straining to see the destination, convinced that God is waiting for us across the finish line. But what if he isn't? What if the most disorienting fact about the wilderness reality of our lives is that God is actually waiting for us in the desert, not at the destination? That the thing you think, I I'll finally spend time with God when I get to where he is and he's been with you the whole time. [00:28:37] (30 seconds)

Some of you, you've been waiting to feel close to God again until life gets cleaned up, until you feel strong again, until you stop crying, until you stop doubting, until you stop being angry, until you stop feeling numb. But Exodus three, it tells us the opposite. It tells us that the desert doesn't disqualify you. It's where God delivers your real destination, what he actually wants to do in and through you. And the destination is not a ZIP code. It's not a title. It's not a relationship status. It's actually not rooted in your circumstances at all. The destination has always been that wherever you are, you would say, I know that God is with me, [00:52:38] (39 seconds)

In the Bay Area, we are obsessed with arrival. Have you noticed that? Even the ways that we get places, it will tell us the time that we plan on arriving. We live our lives in a constant state of future tense. We are all tempted to tell the story of our lives kind of this way in our minds, whether we realize it or not. When I get the IPO, when we get acquired, then I'll finally be able to rest. When I get that house in that neighborhood, then I'll finally choose to invest in real community. [00:25:32] (36 seconds)

See, Moses, he needed to know that in the desert, and you probably need to know it today too. Because deserts, they don't just drain your energy, they try to rename you. The desert is going to try to name you what you're going through. For some of you, you feel like the desert you're going through is trying to rename you failure or delay or divorce or depression or diagnosis or job loss or relapse or infertility or grief or loneliness or burnout. And if you stay in the desert long enough on your own without God and without people, you start to introduce yourself with your dysfunction. [00:51:17] (35 seconds)

God saw their pain. He heard their cries. He knew their suffering, and he came down to deliver them, active, attentive, concerned. For four hundred years, the Israelites thought that God was distant, detached, and disinterested in their pain and their problems. They had assumed maybe a decent assumption that after they had failed over and over and over again, that at some point God would give up and just move on. But God says that the entire time, he has been paying attention, that now he was ready to get even closer to them. He wasn't a divine clockmaker that had put all of this together and then walked away. [00:41:33] (41 seconds)

You don't climb up to get him. It starts by acknowledging you can't. And the good news is you don't need to because he came down. He comes down to a burning bush. But this was not just like the the spark. It was this thing that would ultimately culminate in the story that we'll celebrate at Easter. It was this future prediction and promise about what God would do for all of us. And eventually, actually still in our future today, we'll celebrate this again when Jesus comes back again to set things right for the final and permanent restoration of all things. [00:42:54] (36 seconds)

Now we might wanna be hard on Moses in this moment, but consider this, what we're hearing him describe is the voice of disqualification. He's saying, I'm not good enough. Moses looks at his resume. Right? He sees a significant gap in his work history. He would have to disclose to any future employer a conviction for murder. That feels career limiting. Right? He can't have a strong first impression because he has a debilitating stutter and speech impediment. And at age 80, he qualified for Social Security decades ago. Moses' question is about identity. He thinks he can't measure up to the mission, [00:44:06] (39 seconds)

In a moment like this, we can catch the fire very easily when we read this passage, but we miss the moment if we're not careful. The voice of God was not absent. It was waiting for attention. We should pay attention to that. Sometimes people ask me why we don't hear God more regularly in twenty twenty six, and I think there are a lot of good answers to that question, but it's certainly not because God has less to say in 2026. Think at least part of the answer is we have less time, less attention, and less interest to listen. [00:36:08] (30 seconds)

His dreams are buried with that Egyptian back in the sand. He has assumed for decades that his story is over. But as he rounds the corner on his daily rounds in the mountain called Oreb, he sees a bush that is on fire but not burning up. And that this little glitch in the matrix of the moment and you're like, are you referencing the matrix? I sure am. I'm a millennial. This little glitch in the matrix of the desert all those years ago would change everything for Moses and for God's people. [00:33:51] (32 seconds)

When I get that house in that neighborhood, then I'll finally choose to invest in real community. When I get married or when we have kids, then we'll be happy. For some of you, it's like when my kids move out, I'll finally be happy. We treat wherever we are right now, whatever moment we're in today, like it's the waiting room of where we hope we'll eventually be. We ultimately treat our actual lives like we are commuting to the life we really dream of. [00:26:03] (28 seconds)

But before we dive into the text, I'm just gonna invite you, no matter what you are walking in with today, some of you, you're here today, and you have other work to do today. Some of you are thinking about the week ahead of you or what's behind you. And this idea of constantly living in anticipation of it a future arrival, I would just say, take a moment and stop the car. Stop the commute. Stop the race. And let's just maybe let's stop asking for a minute. Are we there yet? And thank God that he's here with us right now. Would you pray with me? [00:30:05] (32 seconds)

Today, across all of our campuses, we are starting a journey called Lent toward Easter. It's the period of anticipation, of preparation. It's a series we're calling I am where we're gonna look at these stories, these little vignettes through the Hebrew scriptures, what we often call the Old Testament, where God gets close to people in painful and difficult situations as a reminder that that's actually what God still wants to do today. It's about a God who he doesn't wait for you to get out of the mess to introduce yourself to him or intervene in areas maybe for you that feel overwhelming. He wants you to walk with him in them. [00:29:07] (35 seconds)

If we were to transport this moment to the typical Bay Area Moses, His headphones are in. He's listening to a podcast on how to optimize sheep herding at two x speed. He's consulting AI, which back then was ancient intelligence, very different thing. He was doing it all on a stone tablet, amazing battery life. And he'd walk right by this bush, wouldn't he? He'd be like, what fire? He might see something in the distance, but in the midst of everything that he was trying to get done in that day, he might have thought, you know what? Somebody else will take care of that. That's not my problem. [00:36:39] (35 seconds)

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

What does the desert reveal about identity?

How does God's name I Am reassure believers?

Does God meet us at destinations or deserts?

I Am With You In the Desert | I Am: The God Who Gets Close | Menlo Church Live Stream

Devotional

Day 1: God is with you in the desert, not just at the destination.

Day 2: Cultivate curiosity to notice God’s presence in the ordinary.

Day 3: The desert dismantles our false self to reveal our true identity.

Day 4: Your qualification is found in God’s presence, not your resume.

Day 5: God’s name declares His eternal, present-tense presence with you.

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

I Am With You In the Desert | I Am: The God Who Gets Close | Menlo Church Live Stream

Share