Because He says “I will…"

The Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.” God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. (Exodus 6:1–7)

Sometimes it’s the small things. We drove to the registry office to renew my driver’s license, a place usually full of people. My husband prayed for ‘no line up’ and as we pulled up, there was an empty parking space at the door. He thanked God, we went in, and not a customer in the place. Again, we thanked God.

Sometimes it is bigger things. Sometimes we don’t get to see the answers. Yet look again at the words of the God who hears: “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant.”

Then He told Moses what to say: “I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.”

Unlike all communication with God, He told them what He was going to do before He did it, and He did this because of who He is and what He promised to do. Therefore, He did it. This is the same God that I cry out to and can rely on, not because my prayers have any power but because He is who He is and will do what He says He will do. He is totally faithful to who He is and that does not depend on who I am.

Do You promise parking places? Not that I can find, but You do promise to be good to me, to take care of my needs, to grant answers that will bring You glory and build my faith. You told the Israelites that You would delivery from slavery. It didn’t look possible, but You did it. Therefore, I trust You, and if the parking lot had been full or the lineups long, maybe in Your great love and wisdom, You decided I needed a walk or a rest!