God has gone and done it. He made a decision long ago. He created the earth and all that is in it. He said it was all very good. Then we went and fouled it all up. Sin, death, disease, wars, famine, natural disasters have been turned loose in God’s creation. So God had a decision to make. “Do I want to start over, clean slate, and reboot the whole works, or do I redeem this mess?” And He decided. He stepped into human history once again and declared, “I am the Lord your God.”

“I am the Lord your God.” This is the preamble to the Ten Commandments, commonly understood to be all the language which tells us what we need to do or be to please God. But in truth, “I am the Lord your God” is a powerful statement all by itself. God has decided. Come hell or high water, He is our God, the only one we will ever have. He will not abandon us; he does not lie. He has promised to do whatever it takes that we may spend eternity with him. He provided for his people as he freed them from Egypt and led them to the Promised Land. Despite their unfaithfulness, he remained faithful and has continued to bless those whom he has claimed.

He sent his son Jesus to take away the sins of all those he has chosen for eternal life. He has sent his spirit to create faith within our hearts — faith to believe that “it is finished,” Jesus’ dying words on the cross.

“I am the Lord your God” — God’s announcement to his people way back when, and his announcement to you today. “I claim you, you are mine, I will never let you go.” He said it, he says it to you today, “You. You, the one who is reading this, I am your God. How do you like that?”

Rev. Hesse is the pastor at Living Word Lutheran Church on West Broadway Avenue in Moses Lake, and a Grant County farmer.