Who Am I? God’s Presence with Me Always

Devotional

Day 1: God Calls Ordinary People in Unexpected Places

God’s call often comes in the midst of ordinary days and places, just as Moses was tending sheep in the wilderness when God appeared to him in the burning bush. Moses was not seeking greatness or expecting a divine encounter; he was simply going about his daily work, perhaps even feeling forgotten or sidelined by his past failures. Yet, God met him right there, showing that no moment or place is too mundane for God to break in and call someone to a greater purpose. You, too, may find that God’s invitation comes when you least expect it, in the routines and rhythms of your everyday life. [00:57]

Exodus 3:1-4 (CSB)
Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush. As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed. So Moses thought, “I must go over and look at this remarkable sight. Why isn’t the bush burning up?” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered.

Reflection: Where in your daily routine might God be trying to get your attention, inviting you to notice His presence or calling in unexpected ways?

Day 2: God Knows, Cares, and Acts in Our Suffering

God is not distant or indifferent to the pain and cries of His people; He sees, hears, knows, and responds with compassion and action. The Israelites suffered under harsh slavery for generations, and their cries rose up to God, who declared that He had observed their misery, heard their cries, and would come down to rescue them. In your own moments of pain, confusion, or waiting, you can be assured that God is attentive to your suffering and is already at work, even if His answer comes in ways or timing you do not expect. [07:54]

Exodus 3:7-10 (CSB)
Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people in Egypt, and have heard them crying out because of their oppressors. I know about their sufferings, and I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the territory of the Canaanites, Hethites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. So because the Israelites’ cry for help has come to me, and I have also seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them, therefore, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you may lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

Reflection: What is one area of suffering or struggle in your life where you need to trust that God truly sees, hears, and cares for you today?

Day 3: God’s Presence Is Our True Strength

When Moses doubted his ability and asked, “Who am I that I should go?” God did not give him a pep talk about his own adequacy, but instead promised, “I will be with you.” The power and success of God’s calling does not rest on our strength, skills, or worthiness, but on God’s faithful presence with us. Throughout Scripture, God’s assurance to His people is not that they are enough, but that He is with them—whether it’s Moses, Joshua, Mary, the disciples, or you. Whatever God calls you to do, you never go alone; His presence is your confidence and courage. [12:56]

Exodus 3:11-12 (CSB)
But Moses asked God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” He answered, “I will certainly be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I am the one who sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain.”

Reflection: What is one area where you feel inadequate or hesitant, and how might remembering God’s promise to be with you change your perspective or actions today?

Day 4: God’s Name and Identity Are Our Foundation

God reveals His personal name to Moses as “I AM WHO I AM,” signifying His eternal, unchanging, and faithful presence. This name, Yahweh, is not just a title but a promise that God is always present and dependable, not bound by time or circumstance. In Jesus, the great “I AM” comes near, taking on flesh to dwell among us and fulfill God’s promise of deliverance. Your identity and calling are rooted not in your past or your failures, but in the unchanging character and faithfulness of the God who calls you by name. [16:52]

Exodus 3:13-15 (CSB)
Then Moses asked God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what should I tell them?” God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: The Lord, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.”

Reflection: How does knowing God’s unchanging name and character give you confidence to face the uncertainties or challenges in your life?

Day 5: God Uses Our Weaknesses to Display His Power

God delights in using reluctant, weak, or unlikely people to accomplish His purposes, so that His power and glory are made clear. Moses, with all his doubts and failures, was chosen to lead; Paul describes believers as “jars of clay” holding a treasure, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. Your value is not in what you can do for God, but in what He can do through you for the sake of others. Wherever you are—at home, work, school, or in your community—you are perfectly positioned for God to use you, not because you are strong, but because He is. [20:18]

2 Corinthians 4:7 (CSB)
Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us.

Reflection: Who is one person in your life who may need hope or encouragement, and how can you step out—despite your own weaknesses—to be God’s vessel for them this week?

Sermon Summary

Moses’ life is a powerful reminder that God’s call often comes in the midst of ordinary days and unexpected seasons. At 80 years old, Moses was tending sheep in the wilderness, a fugitive with a complicated past and no apparent prospects for greatness. Yet, it was precisely there—amidst the routine and the regrets—that God met him in the burning bush. Moses’ story is not one of random chance, but of God’s providence weaving together both the good and the painful moments to prepare him for a purpose far greater than he could have imagined.

Born into danger and raised between two worlds, Moses’ journey was marked by deliverance, failure, and long years of obscurity. But God was at work in every chapter, shaping him for the moment when he would be called to lead Israel out of slavery. When God finally speaks, He doesn’t begin with a pep talk or a list of Moses’ qualifications. Instead, He assures Moses of His presence: “I will be with you.” The power and success of Moses’ calling would not rest on his own adequacy, but on the faithfulness and sufficiency of the God who sends him.

This same pattern is seen throughout Scripture. God’s promise to be with His people is the foundation for every calling, every act of courage, and every step into the unknown. Whether it’s Joshua, the prophets, Mary, or the disciples, God’s presence is the answer to every “Who am I?” we might ask. The divine name revealed to Moses—Yahweh, “I am who I am”—speaks of a God who is eternally present, unchanging, and faithful. In Jesus, the great “I Am” takes on flesh, standing in our place, bearing our burdens, and freeing us from the bondage of sin and death.

God delights in using reluctant, broken, and ordinary people to accomplish His extraordinary purposes. Our value is not in what we can do for God, but in what He does through us for the sake of others. We are jars of clay, precious not because of our strength, but because of the treasure we carry—the presence and power of Christ. Wherever we are—at home, at work, in our neighborhoods—we are perfectly positioned to be used by God. The ground becomes holy not because of the place, but because of the God who is with us and the people He calls us to serve.

Key Takeaways

1. God’s call comes in ordinary moments God often meets us in the midst of our daily routines and unexpected seasons, not just in dramatic or “spiritual” settings. Like Moses, we may feel forgotten or sidelined, but God is at work preparing us through every chapter of our lives. Our ordinary days can become holy ground when God chooses to speak and act through us. [00:57]
2. God’s presence, not our adequacy, is what matters When faced with God’s call, our instinct is to focus on our inadequacies and failures. Yet, God’s answer is not to boost our self-esteem, but to promise His presence: “I will be with you.” The success of our calling depends on who is with us, not who we are. This shifts our confidence from ourselves to the faithfulness of God. [12:56]
3. God uses weakness to display His power Throughout Scripture, God chooses unlikely, broken, and reluctant people—Moses, David, Peter, Paul—to accomplish His purposes. Our weaknesses and failures do not disqualify us; rather, they become the very places where God’s power is most clearly seen. We are jars of clay, carrying the treasure of Christ, so that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. [20:18]
4. We are perfectly positioned for God’s mission Wherever we find ourselves—at home, work, school, or in our communities—we are not there by accident. God has placed us in these specific contexts to be His presence and to respond to the cries of those around us. Every place can become holy ground when we listen, care, and act in Jesus’ name, trusting that He goes with us. [22:22]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:31] - Moses’ Ordinary Day in the Wilderness
[01:25] - Moses’ Birth and Early Life
[02:25] - Moses’ Rescue and Upbringing
[03:21] - Moses’ Identity Crisis and Flight
[04:00] - Life in Midian: Preparation in Obscurity
[05:30] - The Burning Bush Encounter
[06:27] - God Calls Moses by Name
[07:09] - God’s Compassion for Israel
[07:36] - Moses’ Reluctance and God’s Response
[12:56] - The Promise of God’s Presence
[15:39] - Moses’ Objections and God’s Name
[16:52] - Jesus: The Fulfillment of “I Am”
[18:23] - Moses’ Life: From Somebody to Nobody
[20:18] - Jars of Clay: God’s Power in Weakness
[21:50] - Holy Ground: God’s Presence in Our Lives
[22:22] - Perfectly Positioned for God’s Mission
[24:21] - Practical Ways to Respond
[25:27] - Assurance: The Great I Am Goes With You
[26:02] - Closing Encouragement and Blessing

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Exodus 3:1-15 (CSB) — 1 Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
2 Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush. As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed.
3 So Moses thought, “I must go over and look at this remarkable sight. Why isn’t the bush burning up?”
4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses, Moses!”
“Here I am,” he answered.
5 “Do not come closer,” he said. “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
6 Then he continued, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.
7 Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people in Egypt, and have heard them crying out because of their oppressors. I know about their sufferings,
8 and I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the territory of the Canaanites, Hethites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
9 So because the Israelites’ cry for help has come to me, and I have also seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them,
10 therefore, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you may lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”
11 But Moses asked God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
12 He answered, “I will certainly be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I am the one who sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain.”
13 Then Moses asked God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what should I tell them?”
14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.”
15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.”

2 Corinthians 4:7 (CSB) — Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us.

Observation Questions

What was Moses doing when God appeared to him in the burning bush, and how old was he at this time? ([00:31])
How does God introduce Himself to Moses, and what does He say about the suffering of His people? ([06:05])
What is Moses’ first response to God’s call, and how does God answer him? ([12:56])
According to 2 Corinthians 4:7, what is the “treasure” and what does the image of “jars of clay” mean? ([20:18])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think God chose to call Moses during an ordinary day, rather than a dramatic or “spiritual” moment? What does this say about how God works in our lives? ([00:57])
When Moses asks, “Who am I that I should go?” what does this reveal about his view of himself and his past? How does God’s answer shift the focus? ([12:56])
The name God gives—“I AM WHO I AM”—is significant. What does this name reveal about God’s character and His relationship to His people? ([16:13])
The sermon mentions that God uses “jars of clay” to carry His treasure. What does this say about the kind of people God chooses to use, and why might God prefer to work through weakness? ([20:18])

Application Questions

Moses was 80 years old and tending sheep when God called him. Have you ever felt like you were in a season of “ordinary” or even “forgotten” life? How might God be preparing you right now, even if you don’t see it? ([05:14])
When faced with a challenge or a sense of calling, do you tend to focus on your own inadequacies like Moses did? What would it look like to shift your confidence from yourself to God’s presence? ([12:56])
The sermon says, “Our value is not in what we can do for God, but in what He does through us for the sake of others.” Can you think of a time when God used you in your weakness or reluctance to bless someone else? ([20:18])
The idea of “holy ground” is not about a special place, but about God’s presence wherever we are. Where in your daily life—home, work, school, neighborhood—might God be inviting you to see as “holy ground” this week? ([22:22])
The sermon challenges us to listen for the “cries” of people around us. Who in your life might be crying out in pain, loneliness, or need? What is one practical way you could listen, care, or act in Jesus’ name this week? ([23:26])
Moses had many excuses for why he couldn’t do what God asked. What are some of your own “excuses” or hesitations when it comes to following God’s call? How might God be answering those excuses? ([18:08])
Jesus is described as the ultimate “I Am” who stands in our place and frees us from bondage. How does knowing Jesus is with you change the way you approach your daily challenges and opportunities? ([16:52])

Sermon Clips

All of this by chance? I don't think so. But perhaps God's plan working through each and every one of these situations. Some of the things were good, like his being rescued and not killed. And other things are bad, like his murder and being on the run. But through it all, God was preparing Moses. So that when he is 80 years young, he's perfectly positioned for what God would have him do with his life. [00:04:40] (28 seconds) #GodsPreparation

And we wonder sometimes though in the midst of the pain and the confusion and the hurt and the chaos, does God know what's going on? And if he knows what's going on, does he care about what's happening to me? And then further, if he knows and if he cares, is he going to do anything? About? The thing that I'm going through right now. Does God know? Yes, he knows. Does God care? Yes, he cares. Will God act? Yes, he will ultimately act. [00:09:41] (39 seconds) #GodActs

It's the same promise that God has made to you in the water and the word of your baptism, where in the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit, he declared you to be his beloved son, his chosen daughter, who he promises to be with always. [00:15:12] (15 seconds) #UnchangingGod

God loves to use reluctant people to show us that the power belongs to him. If you're sitting here this morning and you're thinking, well, I know that worked for Moses and that worked for Joshua and that worked for Mary and that worked for the disciples, but I'm different, Pastor. I don't got anything to offer this. Well, listen to Paul's words to the church in Corinth, the second book that he writes, the second letter, rather, that he writes. He says it, and read it with me. We have this treasure. Everybody, okay? Here we go. We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. Who does the power belong to? To God. That means in this passage you are powerless. You're just a vessel. A vessel that's very, very precious because you've been made in the image of God. You have a value and you have a worth. But your value and worth is not what you will do for God. It is what he will do through you for the sake of your neighbor. [00:19:51] (71 seconds) #RedeemedAndSent

Friends, you're perfectly positioned. Right where God has positioned you. Where you live and work and learn and play. To bring eternal hope and promise to those looking for help. And for hope. And you're not going alone. Jesus says, remember I'm with you always to the end of the age. The end of the age hasn't happened. So the promise is still there. He is with you. That means you can go with confidence. You can go with compassion. You can go with the assurance that the great I am goes with you. Perfectly positioned to carry the hope of Jesus wherever you are this day. [00:25:05] (41 seconds) #PerfectlyPositionedWithHope

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