Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Philippians 1:6
The word ‘confident‘ in Greek means to persuade, i.e. to induce one by words to believe; to move or induce one to persuasion to do something; to be persuaded; to suffer one’s self to be persuaded; to be induced to believe; to have faith in a thing; to be persuaded of a thing concerning a person, like God’s ability to completely transform you and to save you no matter how many times you are faltering and failing to be like Him.
When I pondered over the meaning of the word ‘confident’ in this verse, this interaction between God and Moses came to my mind:
Ex 3:11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I
Ex. 3:13 What do I tell the children of Israel who you are? “What is his name?”
Verse 14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM…hath sent me unto you.
This was the first time this name, YHWH ,or Jehovah, was introduced to the Hebrews. Abraham, Issaac and Jacob knew Him as El Shaddai, or God Almighty, which means strength and might. But in their situation they needed Him to be so much more, right? So, He gave them this assurance in His name. Everything looked like it was against them, and that there was no way they would be delivered from their oppression. In fact, as God began to show His mighty signs, the oppression became even worse.
In Psalms, this name for ‘I Am’ is seen many times. David knew this, and he experienced it.
The Hebrew word for ‘I AM’ in Ex. 3:14 is ‘haya.’ The same Hebrew word is used many times in Psalms when David describes who the Lord is to him.
In Psa. 9:9 ‘Haya’ is the name for ‘also will be.’
The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Psa. 9:9
In Psa. 10:14 Haya is used for ‘art.’
The poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless. Psa. 10:14
In Psa. 18:18 Haya is used for ‘but.’
They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay. Psa. 18:18
In Psa. 19:14 Haya is used for ‘let.’
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Psa. 19:14
In Psa. 27:9 Haya is used for ‘thou hast been.’
Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. Psa. 27:9
So, what David was essentially saying is the “I AM” will be your strong refuge and your defense in times of trouble; He will be your helper and your stay; He will be your strength and your Redeemer; He will be your song and your salvation; He will be your strong rock and your provider; He will be your deliverer and your shelter; He will be your strong tower and your habitation; He will be your fortress and your protector in the shadow of His wings; He will be your Father and your greatest listener; He will be your healer, your physician, your best friend, and your greatest companion. God is saying, “I AM all these things to you; and I will be all these things to you.” The Lord will be everything you need Him to be. It’s not about who you are, it’s about who He is.
It’s unfortunate that the Israelites seemed to lack a true understanding of God; otherwise, Moses wouldn’t have needed to ask Him, “What should I say Your name is?” They had lost touch with His identity and character. In your own life, do you genuinely know God as you believe you do? You’ve led a fulfilling life, built up what you have, and possess all that you need, but do you truly recognize the great I AM? Especially during difficult times, do you rely on Him to be everything necessary for your situation? What is it that you need Him to be in this moment? He will fulfill every need you have.
Explore the Blue Letter Bible app or website to find the term ‘I Am’ in Exodus 3:14, and discover all the verses that reveal His nature. Start with the Psalms, as these are personal promises crafted specifically for you. Embrace them, have faith in them, and hold onto them confidently during this season of your life. He will become everything you need Him to be—if you let Him.
Amazingly, the morning I studied this out, after I finished, I opened the book, Prayer, by Ellen White, and this sentence, on p. 56, was the first sentence I read:
“God will be to us everything we will let Him be.” Prayer p. 56
He wants to do the same thing for you. He wants to show you how intimately involved in your life He can be; where He will guide your personal devotions with Him in such a way to show He has been leading you all along, and He has everything planned out for you far in advance.
Focus on the word ‘let’ in that one sentence from the book, Prayer. We have to choose it, we have to allow it, we have to give Him our will, we have to yield. He is more than willing to give us His will in our lives.
What does “I AM” actually mean?
It means to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, occur, take place, to come into being, to arise, appear, come, to abide, remain, continue, to stand, be in, to accompany, be with, to be done, be finished, be gone, accomplished, committed.
Jehovah is telling you, whatever you need, whatever you cry out for from the depths of your soul in agony and earnest of spirit, it will exist, it will happen, it will occur, it will take place, it will come into being, it will arise (I will arise with healing in My wings), it will appear, it will come; I will abide with you; let Me in; I will remain with you always, throughout each and every trial; your deliverance will abide, it will continue, it will remain, it won’t be taken from you; I will stand beside you; I will accompany you (He is your lawyer, your mediator, your judge, He will defend you); I will be with you; it is going to be done; what I began in you is going to be finished; I said it on the cross; this severe trial is going to be gone; My work in you will be accomplished; and I am committed to the very end to bringing it to pass.
Whatever you need Him to perform in you, through you, and for you He will do.