It’s been a little quiet on the blog over the last few months so I just want to take this moment to say, hello and welcome! Today we’re kicking off a three-part series about knowing God by name.
This whole year has been unbelievably different than any of us could have imagined. The intense trauma of this Pandemic has created an explosive environment, exposing a whole new level of hurt and pain. There is no escaping it and the reality should be clear by now: it’s not just going away.
Go ahead and just take a moment to acknowledge the condition of your soul. We’ve all been through a lot, and the assault continues with every news encounter and relational interaction. I think right now, we all just need a break
This idea about pressing into knowing God is a recurring theme in my life because I am continually astounded by His greatness. He is so much more than my little mind can ever comprehend, yet He has revealed Himself and invited me to know Him back and He does that for you too!
The journey of this last year has created endless opportunities to practice faith in God. And by faith, I’m talking about actively choosing to believe Him. The relentless assault of this season’s circumstances has repeatedly confronted what I believe about God. I know I’m not alone, that we all feel a little bedraggled, but the good news is that even in all of this, God continues to reveal His character.
So, today is all about realignment as we remember who God says He is. Go ahead and grab something refreshing to drink and tarry awhile as we shift our gaze off the storm and back to the LORD.
Knowing God happens as we worship…
Worship is a jam-packed word, wouldn’t you say? Some use this word to describe large church gatherings on the weekends, while others use this word to define the way they meet with God (singing, dancing, prayer, etc.). These ideas are not wrong, but they are incomplete. Worship is about making God first. Simply put, worship is about responding to the greatness of God; it’s how we love him back. I love how M. Robert Mulholland, Jr. puts it.
“Worship is the means by which we recover our focus and return to our center.”1
When you look at worship from that angle then you begin to recognize how actions like trust, faith, grace, surrender, and obedience all play a huge role in how one relates to God and then to one another. We love God, only because He loved us first, and then in the overflow of that exchange comes the capacity to love one another.
Worship is the place where God dwells, which is only possible when we put Him first. Now, it’s easy to say He’s first, but I’ve come to realize that there are places and situations in my life where maybe putting Him first isn’t so easy. Can you relate?
Every name we know of God, speaks to another aspect of His nature and character, but until we trust and believe what he has revealed it is just head knowledge. There is a difference between theory and practice because the experience will always override concepts, right?
So, you may know that God’s name is, provider, but until you’ve experienced His provision that information will not carry the same weight and power in your life. The bottom line is that knowing God requires experiencing God.
Who does God say He is?
Knowing God is a life-long journey that will likely never end, but I love that He makes it an adventure (although there are times when I’d prefer a lot less adventure if you know what I mean). When we meet with Him (worship) He reveals who He is and one of the ways He does that is by meeting with us over His word.
Through scripture, we learn about who God is, as He testifies through His covenant relationship with Israel. In the pages of Scripture, we see how he reveals Himself by name to Abraham, Moses, and David (just to name a few) and then how He reveals Himself through Jesus Christ. He is awesome, always providing the way into deeper places of intimacy.
So, that’s what we’re going to do today. We are going to reacquaint ourselves with all ways God reveals Himself. As we move through the list of God’s names, I want to invite you to ask yourself these questions.
Who does God say He is and how have I seen this true in my life?
These two little questions help us to peel back the layer and step in a little deeper. Choosing to trust and remain steadfast is difficult when our faith muscles are weak, so the intentional movement of the heart to align with what is true doesn’t escape His notice. God recognizes the humility in that kind of surrender and He delights over it. It’s only when we are honest with ourselves that we can be honest with God.
Elohim, Strong One (Genesis 1:1)
The strength of God is nuanced in the very act of calling the earth into being. He is the Creator of all the earth. There is none greater than He. The Bible and everything in all the earth testify to the power of God.
Can you identify the strength of God on a personal level in your life?
El Elyon, Most High (Genesis 14:22)
God is MOST HIGH. Everything bows and submits to him because He is the one who created it all. Think about the creativity of God. There is nothing we can imagine or innovate that can even touch the majesty of God.
Can you name and count the ways you see the majesty of God? What can compare?
El Olam, Everlasting God (Genesis 21:33)
God is forever—period. He’s beyond forever because He isn’t contained to time or space. He was present before the world began and He will remain long after the flowers fade. The LORD is everlasting and eternal and He isn’t going anywhere!
Have you experienced the permanence of God in your life? People come and go, but God? He stays. Can you identify His faithfulness?
El Shaddai, Almighty God (Genesis 17:1)
God is almighty, there is nothing He cannot do. The LORD declared His name to Abraham and invited him to trust Him through faithful service and blameless living. In exchange, God promised Abraham the impossible, a son in his old age. God is almighty and he loves to reveal this aspect of his character in the context of relational intimacy.
How has he shown himself almighty in your life?
Adonai, Lord/Master (Joshua 5:14; Isaiah 6:8-11)
By power and position, God’s very nature demands respect. He IS Lord and Master not because He is narcissistic, but because no one else can attain to Him. We bow and we serve because He alone is worthy of honor.
Have you ever experienced an encounter with God in which you could do nothing but serve Him?
Yahweh, I am the One who is (Exodus 3:14)
“I am who I am.” That’s what God said when He revealed His name to Moses from the burning bush. This name, which speaks to the fullness of who He is so personal and intimate.
What name do you use instead when the name Yahweh feels too close and personal?
Yahweh Jireh, The LORD Provides (Genesis 22:14)
God doesn’t just supply the things we need, HE IS the provision. He provides what we need for the journey we walk as He leads us back into an intimate relationship. God created us to exist in community with Him. We find wholeness and fulfillment when we are connected to him. He is the provider; he is the provision.
How has the LORD revealed Himself as the provider in your life?
Yahweh Nissi, The LORD is my Banner (Exodus 17:15)
The LORD is my banner is the name Moses called God after defeating the Amalek army. Israel relied on God, fought with God, and God gave them the victory.
Have you personally encountered Yahweh Nissi, the God who takes you into battle and gives you the victory?
Yahweh Shalom, The LORD is Peace (Judges 6:24)
God IS Shalom. He is the source of wholeness, completeness, wellness, rightness, and peace. In Him we have everything we need so there is no need to be anxious or afraid.
How have you experienced the God of Shalom?
Yahweh Sabbaoth, The LORD of hosts (1 Samuel 1:3)
The LORD of hosts speaks to the power and authority of God. Just as a military commander demands the respect, honor, and obedience of his/her soldiers, so it is with God, who commands all of creation. His power and sovereignty demand the loyalty and honor of His subjects.
What does it look like to honor The LORD of hosts in all your daily life moments?
Yahweh Maccaddeshcem, The LORD your Sanctifier (Exodus 31:13)
God is Holy therefore only He can sanctify. In the Old Testament, He sanctified His people as they honored Him by keeping Him first. In the New Testament, we see the LORD your Sanctifier in Jesus, who redeems and initiates sanctification, the life-transforming power of God in us.
Can you recount the work of God in bringing transformation in your life?
Yahweh Raah, The LORD my Shepherd (Psalm 23)
The picture of Shepherd is one of caretaker, leader, and protector all together in one. We see this image of God often throughout scripture and aside from Psalm 23, perhaps the most powerful picture is the parable of the shepherd who leaves the 99 to go after the one. That is the picture of relentless love and commitment.
How have you encountered to relentless love of God?
Yahweh Tsidkenu, The LORD Our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6)
The LORD Our Righteousness is a prophetic name, speaking of Jesus, the Messiah. This name speaks the nuance of the rightness of God. Because God IS the standard of right only He can make things right. There is NOTHING you and I can do to earn, prove, or work our way back into God’s favor. Jesus our righteousness and through Him, we get access to the Father.
How do you live in Grace? Are there places in your life where you are still tempted to earn your way in?
Yahweh Shammah, The LORD is there (Ezekiel 48:35)
The LORD is there, is the name God revealed Ezekiel as He prophesied about the New City of Jerusalem. This new holy city would be the dwelling place of God. This Old Testament prophecy points to Jesus, who is the way into the presence of God. When Christ died on the cross, scripture tells us the veil separating the people of God from the holy presence of God was torn in two (Matthew 27:51). The LORD is there, is about God’s presence, and as Christ-followers, we have intimate access. Presence is all about knowing God.
Do you believe that God is present and that you have intimate access to Him?
Yahweh Elohim, The LORD God of Israel (Judges 5:3; Isaiah 17:6)
This name nuances God’s relationship with His people. He was Israel’s God, that’s how they identified Him and that is how He was identified by the surrounding nations. God is Sovereign and Almighty, but to His people, He is the LORD God; His name speaks to His relationship with His people.
As you consider the might and majesty of God, what does that look like in the context of an intimate relationship? Is that how you see Him?
Knowing God by name…
Lean in and listen as you ask the Holy Spirit these questions. Allow yourself to contemplate as you compare what you’ve always believed and how you live. What are the aspects of God that still seem hard to grasp? What are the names with which you are most comfortable calling out Him? Are there names that still feel a little too formal?
I know, so many questions, right? It may well feel a little overwhelming, but knowing God by name is worth pushing through. These questions are simply there as a mode of priming the pump. God has revealed Himself through scripture and He invites us to come close and know Him. The only way to do that is to listen and then walk through the process. Simply put, He reveals himself and then we follow Him; as we believe Him, He shows what that looks like in the context of life experiences.
I’d love to hear about your journey of knowing God by name. Drop a comment below and if this post hit the right spot and you want more, sign-up for my weekly devotional, called “The Grace Notes,” filled with daily readings, journal prompts, and a contemplative project, all designed to help encourage your journey to the heart of God.