The One Thing

 

 

Luke 10: 41 – 42

But answering her, the Lord said, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and bothered about many things; but only one thing is necessary.

I have been talking about the “one thing” for a while now. The reason is because this is the lesson I am learning. The Lord, our Father continues to peel back layers of the onion so that I can see more clearly what He means by “BE” with me. Just BE, rather than “Do” with me. What a simple yet challenging concept.

When Moses asked the Lord who he should say sent Him, God responded with, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3: 14). There is something both simple and profound about Yahweh’s answer and so many different meanings you can unpack. The newly revealed layer of the onion that I am now seeing for the first time is that God didn’t define Himself by what He did or was doing. His solid, enduring power is in the straightforwardness of just being. He is the God of many events and actions, without doubt, but the bedrock of our relationship with Him and of who He is can be found most clearly in the verb “to be.”

The picture above is of my lunch spot on a recent bike ride. You can see my bike there on the edge of the table. I also stopped at this site on my way back to my car. As I sat there with my legs stretched out, looking at the trees and the river just beyond, I thought I could at least pray while I sat there taking a break. Immediately, though, I felt the Holy Spirit stir within me and Father say, “Or you could just do nothing, just be with Me.”

Wow! There was that simple “being” with God again. It’s what Jesus tried to convey to Martha and what he suggested to the rich, young ruler. “Come be with me.” Some of us, me in particular, try to do everything. We do so much, in fact, that there is little quiet time within us. Our spirits and minds are whirring so fast and so constantly that it can be quite challenging to hear God or to fellowship in His presence.

This spot along the river was tranquil. Taking God’s words to heart, I calmed my mind and just enjoyed the beauty. All of a sudden, I became aware of lots of birds around me, the sound of the river, the rustle of leaves and the wind caressed them and the buzzing of insect wings. It was peaceful and beautiful.

I found myself relaxing and enjoying just taking in the sights and sounds. In that moment, I knew God. He was there with me. We didn’t have to chat, pray, plan or do anything. It was all about just enjoying time in His presence, just being with Him.

I believe we need these moments. We lead such busy lives these days that we create chaos and unrest within our souls. We need time when we can bask in God’s presence without doing anything; just resting in Him. It is restorative and healing.

Some of you can hear this, some of you can’t. I know, because it has taken me all these years to learn to slow down and just “be” with Yahweh. Father God didn’t save us so that He would have more employees. He saved us so He would have more kids to spend time with, to enjoy life with. Apparently, life wasn’t meant to be go, go, go. The idiom, stop and smell the roses comes to mind. We say it, but some of us still don’t do it. Well, maybe we can all take a couple of minutes today to stop for a moment and just “Be” in Father’s presence, just enjoy being without having to do anything.

I Am

Exodus 3: 14

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

We are still learning so much about who (and what) God is. When Moses asked Him who he should say sent him, God said, “I AM.” I get the sense that this was a hard question to answer. The answer is so obvious and so encompassing that there aren’t words to say it. You’ve been in the same position. When something just “is” then it just is. It is hard to express the very being of it.

God’s answer is so huge, I AM. In that simple answer is the complexity of the universe. It is both simple existence, Newtonian Physics and Quantum Physics. It is the very state of being and the substance there of. In that one small statement, God revealed to Moses the very essence of life and matter. I am that I am. I am Me, the substance of being, the actual substance of all things which have ever been created. I am the substance of all matter. In God, in the “I Am,” was the answer to the questions not yet asked. I Am means I am the source of being.

In other words, God said tell them that the very existence of the universe and all that the earth and all celestial and earthly bodies are made from sent you. The state of being and all matter have called you this day to follow Moses to a land free of bondage. God is energy. The slightest particle of who He is, when released into any environment is light and life. “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself,” (John 5: 26).  That is exactly why Jesus revealed himself as both life and light. He is part of the Father. God is not only the creator, but He is also creation. He is the big bang. He released a small bit of Himself and the universe began expanding. Light came into being.

If you think about the verb “to be” you begin to get the sense of who God is. He is the verb to be. I just am. There is so little else to say. I am the source of all being; the beginning and the end. This concept is as huge and as simple as possible. I hope I have been able to explain enough of my perception to start you wondering. If so, a fun exercise would be for you to look for the number of times Jesus said, “I Am.” You might be amazed. Remember, any word which is in italics in the Bible was added by the editors. Take your pencil and line through the italicized words and look at what you have. It is astounding!