The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him and he helps me. Psalm 28:7.

As I sit here this morning in prayer for friends and loved ones in need, I can’t help but rejoice in God’s name…I Am. Present tense. What a truly wonderful name. I Am is with us now. Think of all the times we use that in our own sense…I am here…I am able…I’m coming! I can’t. I can’t be right there for friends and loved ones at the same time. God can. He is with all of His children. Can we rejoice in that truth? I Am is with us always.

This chapter today is so powerful, 1 Chronicles 21. It begins with Satan tempting David but ends with God being merciful. Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. v. 1. I kept thinking about that sentence. I kept thinking about David who trusted so wholly in God that he alone out of all the fighters in Israel went out to confront a giant that he knew God had already given into David’s hands. David trusted God in every battle because the enemy is always strong and determined. And now David is king over a once again united Israel and he ordered a census of all the fighting men. He trusted in the number of his fighting men as does every other army. David had been given so much and much was expected. He is the leader of God’s people and he forgot that and trusted in himself and the strength of his army…that was not his army.

David repented. Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.” v. 8. David repented and in that repentance returned to trusting God. David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands.” v. 13. Gad was the seer who God sent to confront David with his sin. 3 days of the sword of the Lord is what David chose. God chose the Lord. The angel of God swept through Israel and 70,000 men of Israel died. The angel reached Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the Lord saw it and relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the Lord was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. v.15. David saw the angel of the Lord with a drawn sword! And not just David…While Araunah was threshing wheat, he turned and saw the angel; his four sons who were with him hid themselves. v. 20. Can you imagine?

David knew fear when Uzzah died because David didn’t inquire of the Lord before moving the ark to Jerusalem. David knew fear again when people were dying because of him. David said to God, “Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I, the shepherd, have sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Lord my God, let your hand fall on me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on your people.” v. 17.

Then the angel of the Lord ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. v. 18.

This is powerful stuff! Can we appreciate what it was like to experience this?

I Am. Never forget who God is. The great I Am. I Am is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.

Can we learn from David and Araunah? When the angel of I Am is standing before you take note! This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation. Exodus 3:15. I Am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this? John 11:25-26.

Do you believe I Am loves you? He loves you whether you believe or not. How can you be sure? Jesus answered, “I Am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:6-7. Powerful stuff indeed and in great love for you and for me and for everyone. Jesus, our Shepherd, the great I Am was with David and He is with us. He alone knows the way to eternal life and that way is in God’s Love for us. I Am – Father, Son, Spirit – loves us. Powerful stuff!