The Many Names of God, Part II

 

God has many names that reflect the many facets of His character. Each name reveals a part of His holy nature and His love for His creation.  We can call out to God using His many names, and grow as we learn more about His character and that He really is everything we need.

Below are some names (facets of God's character) that He has shown me and been to me in my personal walk.

Healer-  God knows our infirmities. Physical, spiritual, emotional, mental and financial. He sees our suffering and He cares. He is our "great physician." Never stop praying for God's healing over your life and the lives of others. It may not come exactly as we think it should, but God hears our prayers. Even in the midst of our deepest sorrow He is there.  His great healing already came for mankind, to heal us of our sin. Jesus died on the cross so that we no longer have to bear the full weight of the "sickness" of our sin.  We are already healed and whole in Jesus.  

 "Who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases" Psalm 103:3

"And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick." Matthew 14:14

 "Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live to righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed." 1 Peter 2:24

Comforter-  God comforts those who mourn and are suffering. He sees each tear we cry and He has compassion on us. As a loving Father, He doesn't like to see His children suffer. He doesn't promise us a life without suffering, His own son suffered and died for us. He does promise that He will be there for us always.

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us." 2 Corinthians 1:3-7

"You will restore me to even greater honor and comfort me once again." Psalm 71:21

"Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them." Psalm 10:17

Restorer-  Whatever I have lost in my life at times, I have seen God restore and in even more abundance than before. He has restored everything I lost and made those things better than what I could have planned myself. When we follow and listen to God's word His plan for us is to restore us and make us whole in Him. Our old broken pieces are put back together again.

"The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts."  Isaiah 57:15

"Restore us, O Lord, and bring us back to you again! Give us back the joys we once had!" Lamentations 5:21

“When my sanity returned to me, so did my honor and glory and kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored as head of my kingdom, with even greater honor than before. Daniel 4:36

  Our God is our Healer, Comforter and Restorer. Sometimes those things are hard to grasp in our lives, but God is all these things to us.  We can always hope in the Lord and trust that He sees our suffering. He wants to put us back together again. He has promised us His eternal life. In heaven we will be healed, comforted and restored eternally.

"Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” Titus 3:7

"And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son."
1 John 5:11


Prayer: "God, help me to see all the things you have been to me throughout my life. How you have walked beside me and been my sustenance. Show me more of your character as I grow in you and help me to never forget you in every area of my life. Amen."

What are some names (facets of God's character) that He has been to you in your life?




May God's peace and wisdom be with you as you build your own wall of God's truth.


For "The Many Names of God, Part 1" click here: http://thewallofgodstruth.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-many-names-of-god-part-i.html.

Rest in God (Part I)

 

"The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him." Lamentations 3:25

Hurry is a pace of life

that is seldom conducive to godliness,

to relationships, 

to anything
 
that ultimately matters to us.

-Nancy Leigh Demoss

When we hurry and rush around in our daily lives, we miss what God has put right in front of us.  Let's enjoy what God has set before us to enjoy. Slowly eliminate commitments and God will show you what He is calling you to do at this time of your life. He will give you wisdom to keep what is necessary and to have time for Him. He gave you all the time you need to do what HE has put before you. We aren't called to rush through life doing the unnecessary. 

Some activities are distractions. Distraction from God and distraction from the abundant life He has for us. Even some things that seem to be good commitments. Just because the world offers it, doesn't mean we need to be doing it. Those activities may be distracting you from hearing God's voice and seeing what He really has set in front of you. Don't be afraid to say no to busyness, rushing and distraction and yes to God's rich life for you.

"Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding in life at things that don't really matter." -Francis Chan

"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12 

"One reason we are so harried and hurried is that we make yesterday and tomorrow our business, when all that legitimately concerns us is today. If we really have too much to do, there are some items on the agenda which God did not put there. Let us submit the list to Him and ask Him to indicate which items we must delete. There is always time to do the will of God. If we are too busy to do that, we are too busy.”

~Elisabeth Elliot
Secure in the Everlasting Arms

Prayer: Lord, help me to see what you want me to be doing. May my time be governed by you and used wisely. Help me to know what your rest feels like and help me to live the life you have for me. Give me the strength to say no to the world and yes to you. Amen. 

What are some things you are learning or dropping from your schedule in your personal journey of less busyness?

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives sleep to his beloved.” Psalm 127:1-2

“My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14

“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8



May God's peace and wisdom be with you as you build your own wall of God's truth.

Pursue and Knock

 

 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8


Many times I've heard someone knocking on our door unexpectedly. I don't want to answer when I'm in my pajamas, have a face mask on, or it's inconvenient because I'm giving the kids a bath. Or I just don't want to deal with a salesman at the door! So sometimes, I ignore it if it isn't urgent. Eventually, the person on the other side of the door gives up and goes away.

I think many times God "knocks" on our door and we ignore Him. We think it's not urgent, or we are afraid of what might happen if we answer His call. We want Him to go away. We block out His gentle knocking, until He tries again. God never "breaks and enters." He has given us free will, and though He is persistent, He waits for us to answer His knock, and He waits for ours.

Jesus is telling us in the above scripture to be determined in pursuing God. The one who seeks FINDS. The one who knocks, the door WILL be opened.  When we pursue God, we start out seeking, and finding God. But many times we stop at the seeking and finding phase. We've found God, but now after a few half hearted attempts we seem to determine He is not as great as we thought. Or that maybe He isn't worth changing ourselves for which requires work. So we go on living our life, believing that Jesus died on the cross for us, but let's not change our life too much because of it. Maybe we aren't realizing that it was us who decided He isn't that great. That we couldn't find the determination within ourselves to pursue Him?

The real key in this scripture is OUR knocking. Notice that God carefully worded this. After He tells us that the one who seeks finds, there is another step after that. THEN those who knock at the door will have the door opened to them. So we have sought God, found Him, and then we are to take the extra step and pursue Him and knock on His door. The relationship is mutual. He wants us to want to love Him and pursue Him.

To pursue God with our whole heart and knock on His door daily takes faith, follow through, determination, and patience. It is a daily decision to pursue God and walk with Him. It takes daily prayer to ask Jesus to give us all of the above in abundance to seek Him. Each morning we rise, we make a decision that today we will knock on God's door. Today we will listen, today we will follow. We are promised that because we knocked, the door will be opened. That is a promise of God. He doesn't tell us the door "might" be opened. He says the door will be opened to you. God never breaks His word.

In Revelation 3:20 God tell us ^"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me."

Again we have another promise from God! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will eat with that person and they with me. There again we are to take the next step. We hear God's voice, but then we take the step of opening the door to His voice and instruction. Our relationship with God seems to be based a lot on our own actions doesn't it? Our actions are pursuing God, knocking on His door, and when we hear Him knocking on ours, opening it.


 "They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it." 1 Peter 3:11

Again in Peter we are given two steps. A seeking step and an action step. We must seek peace but we must not stop there, we must then pursue peace.  God expects action on our part. He says, pursue me, knock at MY door.
 
The scriptures we have read above give us a beautiful example of a mutual relationship with God. One tells us that we are to seek, find and then knock. The other tells us that He is standing and knocking and that we are to open the door. He knocks at our door, but we also knock at His. And God then tells us "I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." When we pursue that mutual relationship with God, we will eat with Him together and share His bread of life. The door will be opened to us, and we will partake in His love with Him and get to know Him as a beloved friend.

If you are struggling, or feel God is silent, keep pursuing! If it takes the last ounce of persistence you have, do it and knock at God's door. He will knock back at yours with His still, quiet voice. Remember His promise, He will open the door. I've been there and I know God's promise is true. The door was opened to me, and it will be opened to you.

Prayer: Lord, help me to have ears that are sensitive and attuned to your knocking and give me the wisdom to respond. Give me persistence to knock at your door each day and to know that your door will be opened to me. Help me to remember that when I ask, I will receive. Help me to pursue you.


 "They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it." 1 Peter 3:11

"Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." Psalm 34:14

"The Lord detests the way of the wicked, but he loves those who pursue righteousness." Proverbs 15:9

"Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor." Proverbs 21:21

"Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." 2 Timothy 2:22




May God's peace and wisdom be with you as you build your own wall of God's truth.

The Many Names of God, Part I

"He has paid a full ransom for His people. He has guaranteed His covenant with them forever. What a holy awe-inspiring name He has! -Psalm 111:9

God has many names that reflect the many facets of His character. Each name reveals a part of His holy nature and His love for His creation.  

We can call out to God using His many names, and grow as we learn more about His character.

Here are a few to start.

Alpha- Alpha is the first letter of the greek alphabet. It means "the first one, the beginning." 

“I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.” Revelation 1:8

We can always trust God who was there from the beginning of time, the first one. 

Shield- God is our shield. He holds Himself in front of us.

“God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection." 2 Samuel 22:31

"You have given me your shield of victory; your help has made me great." 2 Samuel 22:36

Purifier- The blood of Christ shed for us was to purify us from our sins. God purifies our minds, hearts, bodies and souls.

"Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." Psalm 51:7

“Then I will purify the speech of all people, so that everyone can worship the Lord together." Zephaniah 3:9

"Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins." Hebrews 9:14

Rose of Sharon-   "I am the rose of Sharon, And the lily of the valleys." Song of Solomon 2:1

Our God is our Alpha, our Shield, our Purifier and our Rose. He is our beginning, our protection. He will purify us and He is as a rose among thorns to us, His chosen ones.

"For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth." Psalm 47:2

Prayer: Lord, help to me to know your character more and more every day. Reveal the facets of yourself to me and show me that you provide ALL I need. Amen.




May God's peace and wisdom be with you as you build your own wall of God's truth.

 

A Mighty Wall of Fire

 

"For I,’ says the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’” Zechariah 2:5

In the verse above, God (spoken through Zechariah)  is referring to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is God's, and so are we. God wants to be the wall of fire that surrounds us. He wants to protect us, guide us and show us how His heart burns for us. He wants to be the glory in our hearts, our homes, setting our lives ablaze and burning for Him. He wants to be the glory in the midst of our everyday.

God and His word are the wall of fire that surrounds us in our life. He wants us to burn for him, to set our walls and hearts ablaze for Him. He wants to burn away our ungodliness, and refine us with the fire of His word.

"I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘These are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’” Zechariah 13:9 (NLT)

“But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes." Malachi 3:2 (NLT)

God's wall of fire is our protection, our promise from Him. It doesn't mean we are free from difficulty in our lives, but no matter the problem, He is still burning around us. His fire is still ablaze and never goes out. His fire is eternal. His mighty fire is always surrounding us!

God will refine us. He will refine us in our finances, our health, our relationships, our learning of His wisdom and ways. He will burn off our layers of blindness leaving us with only His peace. We can only achieve what God wants from us when we allow Him to burn in the areas of our lives that He commands. 

Imagine for a moment the place you live. Imagine a wall of fire outside, surrounding your home, but it doesn't burn your home down. Instead it protects it and keeps the heart of your home alive and burning for God.  This is what God wants to be for us. Our home and hearts need to be a dwelling place for His mighty power, His holy fire. What a tremendous reality. His heart and fire burn around us always.

The refining in your life may be slow and feel painful right now. You may feel, as I have many times, that God has stopped working. Don't lose heart. 

"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin." Zechariah 4:10 (NLT)

The Lord is rejoicing in your steps, small and large in your process of refinement. He is rejoicing as you set your life ablaze for Him. Don't lose heart, and let us stay on our path. He is ablaze all around you and I.

“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord." Zechariah 2:10 (NLT)

"Does not my word burn like fire?”
    says the Lord.
“Is it not like a mighty hammer
    that smashes a rock to pieces?"

Jeremiah 23:29 (NLT) 

How powerful and what a blessing God gives us, when He says He "dwells in our midst". He is with us. He surrounds us. The Alpha, Omega, Holy One of Israel. Our mighty God, our wall of fire.

"And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life." Revelation 21:6

Prayer: God, may I always remember that your power burns all around me. You have never stopped burning for me, from the day I was born. The fire of your might never goes out. Burn in my life as never before, refine me, show me your wisdom, power, peace and joy. May my walls be so ablaze for you that you can see them from heaven. Amen.

May God's peace and wisdom be with you as you build your own wall of God's truth.

 

Queen Esther

"Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?"  Esther 4:14 NLT

Queen Esther is a portrait of a strong and noble woman of character. Her feminine strength shows God's beautiful design for women. He uses all those traits He designed in women for His glory. Queen Esther is a true role model. Women like Esther aren't praised in today's society, but they are cherished in God's heart.

Esther came from humble beginnings and was appointed queen by King Xerxes. She was raised by her cousin, Mordecai after her parents died. She gained favor with the King, who selected her to be queen and was said to be selected based on her beauty. She could have taken her newly found status, power and beauty and let it go to her head. Instead, she wanted to be of service to her people.

When Esther hears of Haman's plot to kill the Jews, she says that she will speak to King Xerxes herself, at the risk of death. (she risked her life because she requested to see the king when he had not requested her presence) “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.” Esther 4:16-17 (NLT)

Because Esther had gained favor with King Xerxes he asked her to come forward and speak. She told him of the plot to kill the Jews and he heard her plea. She had gained favor throughout time with the king not only based on her beauty but her character.

Esther displayed true strength. She never asked to be queen but then used it for the good of her people. She planned and asked her cousin Mordecai and the Jewish people to fast for her. She wanted to go and ask the King in a wise way to spare her people. She was human. She must have felt fear, but regardless of that fear she went ahead because she knew it was the right thing to do. She had a clear vision of what to do, and she didn't shrink from it. She searched for and found the strength to do the right thing. She didn't wait for anyone to tell her that it was her place to do it and what to do. She looked deep within herself and knew it was her that could make a difference. She didn't selfishly say no and ask someone else to go before the king. She was placed in the palace at that time but still had a choice of what her role would be in that situation. She could have remained silent and her people would not have been saved.

“If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor with him, and if he thinks it is right, and if I am pleasing to him, let there be a decree that reverses the orders of Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, who ordered that Jews throughout all the king’s provinces should be destroyed. For how can I endure to see my people and my family slaughtered and destroyed?”  Esther 8:5-6 NLT

God had a plan for Queen Esther and she fulfilled that plan and relied on God's strength. But she had a choice, and she chose the right thing. God put her in that palace at that time to serve Him and she obeyed.

Esther was brave, noble, strong, courageous, had strong character and was willing to act. She didn't go off of her beauty or flirtations. She desired to do the right thing and stepped out of her comfort zone to do so. 

 Esther is a wonderful example of a woman of God. We can step up and have strength and courage in our lives no matter what our situations. We may not have the same conflicts to deal with that she did. But we may be in a position to help our families, help another friend or family member God has placed in our lives, train our children and love them, or step up when our husbands need us. It doesn't mean it is going to be easy and it doesn't mean it won't come without self sacrifice. We have to be willing to do it without being asked and because it is the right thing to do. 

I encourage women everywhere- wives, mothers, single women, older women, to step up to the role in their lives that God has put in front of them. Fill in those gaps that are right before you and be the person that God has put in place "for such a time as this." The world desperately needs to see women like you! Like Esther, be obedient, and trust God for the outcome.




Lord, help me to see the areas I may not be stepping up to in my life that I need to fulfill. Show me the things you have for only me to accomplish at this time of my life and give me the strength, energy and courage to fulfill them.


The Bible has a lot to say about women of character. A few proverbs are below. I think that they can be applied to any woman, married or not, to become a Godly woman of virtue at every stage of life.


"Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."
Proverbs 31:30

"The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain." Proverbs 31:11

"An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels." Proverbs 31:10

 

May God's peace and wisdom be with you as you build your own wall of God's truth.
 

True Joy

 

We hear a lot about happiness today, but not a lot about true joy.  Happiness is fleeting and is often based on circumstances. True joy is everlasting regardless of our circumstances. The word joy comes from the greek word "chara" and means "to be exceedingly glad."  From Latin gaudia, plural of gaudium "joy," from gaudere "rejoice."  

Zephaniah 3:17 says: For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” 

God delights in us. He wants to calm our fears, cast our anxieties away. He delights in us and sings over us! Just as we delight in our children's silliness or we laugh when they do something funny, I believe God feels this way with us. He delights over our lives, our growth, and our eccentricities and probably has a sense of humor about them too.

The true deep joy of our hearts, our hearts song, is to come from knowing that we have eternal life with Christ and that is enough, it is all we need. Our hearts should be overflowing from this alone. Our permanent joy should come from God, not from our brand new big screen tv or new car we just got. Joy cannot be quantified. It comes from deep within and God gave it to us and He wants us to feel it every day. 

“And so, my children, listen to me, for all who follow my ways are joyful." Proverbs 8:32

We might have a bad day or be tired, or grumpy, or feel discouraged. True joy is felt regardless of our other emotions. We can be feeling sad, frustrated or that we are struggling with something, but we still have the deep joy in our hearts.  We can always count on God's eternal joy for us. He doesn't want our joy to just be on the surface, He wants it to be in our hearts, so that regardless of our day, we still rest in the joy He has for us.
 

We lose sight so often of joy in the midst of our human struggles. But in following Christ, we are bound for heaven, and a life of eternal joy. We can't lose sight of dwelling in that everyday. God wants to rejoice over us with singing while we worship Him for eternity. We can already live with that joy in our hearts in our life on earth because we already know what is to come. We need the joy of what Christ has already done for us to be in our hearts daily.

Romans 5:2 says: "Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory."

He gives us the privilege of sharing in His glory and His joy. His love is so great for us that He wants to share that with us. He desires for us to live in that joy every day.

Lord, joy is hard to remember every day, but show me your joy each day and allow it to overflow in my heart. Help me to remember that you already have victory and you already have joy awaiting me. Help me to dwell in your joy and delight in you every day. Let my heart rejoice in you with joy.

But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God’s presence. Let them be filled with joy. 

Psalm 68:3 

"Sing a new song of praise to him; play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy." Psalm 33:3

"Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces."  Psalm 34:5

"What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord, whose people he has chosen as his inheritance." Psalm 33:12

"I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.” Psalm 40:8