Press the play button to watch the video above or press 'more' to read the transcript of the daily devotion below. Please read Exodus 3:13-22 (use your own Bible or use the link above to access the in-App Bible).

‘God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’ He said further, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.’’ Exodus 3:14

In today’s bible reading God tells Moses His name, and in doing so, He’s beginning to tell us what He’s really like. God’s name is YHWH (some people say this name as ‘Jehovah’), but the English translation that we have in our bibles is perfect. God says His name is ‘I AM WHO I AM.’

This name shows us that God does not depend on anything else for His existence. He is all He needs. In this way He is nothing like us because we do need other things to exist. Without food we would cease to exist within a couple of months. Without water, it would take about a week. Without air it would take only a few minutes. And without parents to conceive us, we wouldn’t exist at all.

This is not the case for God. He does not need food or water or air or anything else to sustain Him. He does not need parents to conceive Him because He has always been there. Just like the fire in yesterday’s reading, that did not burn up the bush as fuel, God requires nothing to keep Him going.

Knowing all this helps us to understand Jesus better. Once, when He was asked by the Pharisees “Who do you think you are?” Jesus replied “I AM.” In saying that, Jesus was clearly announcing to the world that He is the eternal God who does not depend on anything else for His existence.

This is really important for our faith as Christians because, if He was only a man, His death on the cross would have only been enough to pay for one person’s sins. However, because He is God, His sacrifice was enough to be able to pay for all the sins of the world.

During this season of Lent, as we look towards Easter, we should keep these wonderfully true things in mind. When God sent His only Son into the world, He didn’t do it because He needs anything from us. He did it because He is the One we all need to pay for our sins.

Let us pray: Heavenly Lord, thank you for sending your Son into the world, not because you needed anything from us, but because we needed Him. Amen.

The Revd Paul Davies, Associate Vicar, St Andrew’s, Leyland