What’s in a Name?

For several years I have wanted to study the names of God, but for whatever reason it was not His timing that I do until this summer. I bought the book Lord, I Want to Know You a couple of years ago, but it sat on my shelf until now.

With each name I study my understanding of God grows. It grows not necessarily because I am seeing brand new truths but I am understanding the character of God on a deeper level. I am learning that you can not separate any part of His character.

God ALWAYS acts in the totality of His character. We can not isolate one part of who He is without taking into account the whole of who He is.

He is that God who sees, El Roi. He does not sleep, He is always aware of all that goes on in our lives.

He is the all-sufficient God, El Shaddai. He is our Almighty God. In Him we have all that we need.

He is a God who heals, Jehovah-rapha. Complete healing is offered to those who would ask, to those who are in obedience. He heals the sick, the suffering, the lame and blind but what is most important to understand is that He heals us of our SIN!

He is the God who fights for us, Jehovah-nissi. He is our Banner. He provides for us in the midst of a battle when our enemy attacks. We do not fight our enemy, the flesh, alone. We have One who has already won the victory over sin who fights for us. The Lord is My Banner…let us rally there so that He will fight the fight with and for us.

He is the God who sanctifies me, Jehovah-mekoddishkem. Holiness and righteousness is not an option for the child of God. We can not sanctify ourselves.Once we are redeemed by the blood of Christ we move on to sanctification. We are sanctified by Jesus.

He is my Shepherd, Jehovah-raah. I am a dumb sheep and without my Shepherd I would fall to my enemy, stumble over a cliff or just wander away. He guides me, protects me, watches over me and leads me to a higher, better place.

Oh my dear sisters, do you not see how understanding the names of God and their meaning helps us to understand who our God is.

These are only a few of my favorite names and as I study them I fall deeper into a holy appreciation of the God who created me (Elohim-God as creator).

Because God always acts in the totality of his character and He can never be anything other than who HE IS then I can know that I know that the God who sees me is the same God who sees my enemy and will fight for me. The God who is my Shepherd is the same God who sanctifies me, heals my hurts and provides all I need.

So What is in a name?  When we know the names of God we can rightly boast in Him. Kay Arthur writes,

”What do I mean when I say, “boast in the name of our God”? In the Hebrew language the phrase to boast mean to have confidence in His name. In biblical times a name represented a person’s character. God’s name represents His character, His attributes, His nature. To know His name is to know Him. To boast in His name is to have confidence in who He is!” (page 3 of Lord I Want to Know You)

Do you know your God? Do you have confidence in who He is?

“The name of the LORD is a strong tower, the righteous runs to it and is safe” Prov. 18:10