I Am the Lord – A Lesson on Humility and Devotion4 min read

His Lordship
The phrase ‘I am the Lord’ appears in 162 verses. Because of this, it is clear that God wanted to emphasize this very important truth in Scripture. It is also significant, because it was used to open the Ten Commandments. This is God revealed: His authority is the absolute highest. Because of this fact, He deserves our humility – because He is Lord. Not only that, but He deserves our devotion.

Besides the phrase “I am the Lord”, God has many other “I am’s” that also reveal His character. “I am the Almighty God.” This shows His power. “I am understanding.” This shows His infinite wisdom and knowledge. “I am the Light of the World.” This shows His holiness and glory. “I am the Alpha and Omega.” This shows His eternal reign and character. “I am the true vine.” This shows the source of our very life: Him. There are many more to give, but one is truly striking: “I AM THAT I AM.” This wraps up all the “I am’s” of Scripture. He is the Almighty, eternal, holy, life-giving Lord. He is who He is, and He will never change. He will be the Lord for all eternity; does this not merit our allegiance?

Our Humility
After seeing a bit of His Lordship and character, our humility comes next. In Judges 6:15, Gideon responds to God’s call by saying, “I am the Least…” What a contrast! He is the absolute Lord over all eternity, while we are the least. This is a lesson of humility that we cannot miss. We must realize our weakness compared to His greatness. The only way to advance and be profitable in life is if we recognize Him as Lord over all and us as the least. Perhaps we are fearfully and wonderfully made, but as John could say, “He must increase; I must decrease.”

Besides “I am the least”, there are many other “I am’s” that show our character. “I am commanded.” We are servants who are under His command. “I am not able.” This shows our inability. “I am afraid.” We are insecure on our own. “I am weak.” This shows our lack of strength. “O, wretched man that I am!” This shows our sinful nature. “I am carnal.” Again, this shows our lack of holiness. Throughout the Bible, the “I am’s” that come from humans are ones that should automatically humble us when we read them. Without God, we are literally nothing, because we wouldn’t exist. What is man that He is mindful of us? We have no reason to prideful, because all that is good about us comes from God.

Here is a quick contrast between us and God. Us- “I am weak.” God- “I am the Almighty God.” Us- “I am afraid.” God- “I am thy shield.” Us- “I am the least.” God- “I am the Lord.” Us- “I am at the point to die.” God- “I am the True Vine (the life giver).” You see, what God is, we are not. He is our strength, protection, and our life. May God grant us the ability to remember our place.

Our Devotion
His Lordship is key; our humility is key. Thus, as a direct result should come our devotion. Because He is Lord and we are not, He deserves, at least, our utmost devotion. If there was no devotion, Christ-like attitude would be nearly non-existent. Devotion makes way for everything else, because if we are not devoted we will not want to be like Him. On a scale of 1-10, how devoted are you to God? On the extreme side, would you die for your faith? Would you be jailed for your faith? Would you be brutally tortured for Christ? It may be extreme and may never happen in our lives, but this is the true test of devotion. Does God deserve this from us? Absolutely! On a less extreme scale, do you devote more time to essential things such as prayer and Bible study, or to non-essential things such as TV, books, or games? When the weekend comes around, would you rather spend some ‘God time’ or ‘me time’? What is more important? It is not outside Scripture to spend a day playing sports or to attend a special event, but the question is: is God your priority? Because He is Lord, we MUST put Him first in our priorities and actions. Does our faith mean anything to us? Do we visibly prove it?

This subject is vitally important, and it is key in our Christian lives. Pride is not an option. It is one of the worst sins, because it does not put God first. His Lordship, our  humility, and our devotion to God are all key in our lives. Why? Because He is Lord; that is all the reason we need. When we were saved, we made Him Lord of our lives. Do we show it?