I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart ...
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.
~ Psalms 138:1-2 (NIV)
I write this as the clock approaches 2 a.m., exhausted yet exhilarated. After some two decades of my study on the names of God, a small business which produces Christian artwork has asked me to write the text for a Names of God project. I just completed and submitted the requested work.
My exhilaration is not due to the prospect of publication, but from the work itself. No matter how many hours I've spent on this study, I never fail to uncover new details or gain new understanding about the Lord through His name.
I once was blind. But now my eyes have seen the King.
I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple... So I said:
"Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The LORD of hosts."
~ Isaiah 6:1,5 (NKJV)
I have yet to see the Lord in the same manner that Isaiah did. But through His exalted word and name, I have most certainly witnessed His splendor with the eyes of my heart.
My Lord and my God, Your majesty defies our comprehension and is not exhausted by words. Thank You for all the mercy and truth You have shown me, of which I am not worthy. Please use this labor of love to make Yourself better known—and more deeply loved—by all whom it touches.
Q4U: What is your favorite name of our Lord? Why is it special to you?
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Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Anne! I'm so excited about this news. Thank you for sharing it. Can't wait to see the end result.
ReplyDeleteI might spell these wrong...but I love Jehovah Jirah, Jehovah Rapha and Elohim.
~ Wendy
hit a little catch on your question. at first i thought this to really be easy. fot the Lord, it would be Friend. for God it would be Father. although they are One and the Same....in my mind i differentiate between the two.
ReplyDeleteOh what a tough question, and a very good one. I always go back to Jehovah Rapha since in some way we all need healing, and not only from physical sickness, from lonliness and heartache and all those things that are part of our human experence.....I even like the rhythm of saying it. They are each so beautiful and express all the attributes of God so wonderfully! Lori
ReplyDeleteWendy ~
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of "Elohim" rather than its English equivalent "God." The Hebrew is soft and flowing and majestic, the English hard and abrupt. When reading the Old Testament, I often pause at the word "God" for no other reason than to see if the original Hebrew used Elohim, El, or Eloah.
Bud ~
ReplyDeleteIt's always interesting to hear when people distinguish the personalities of the Trinity. Since you bring it up, I'll mention that the project I'm working on has three parts: Hebrew names of God, names of Jesus, titles of the Holy Spirit. I'll be sure to speak of it again if it sees publication / distribution.
Lori ~
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that healing is so much bigger than physical afflictions. I suspect that we often wait on physical healing because the Lord is working on the more important kinds of healing first.
Hi Anne, wow what exciting news! I would love to read it!
ReplyDeleteI would have to say mine is Jehovah Nissi "The Lord is my Banner" or "My Victory" He has been victor in my life through so many adversities. When I think of "banner" I vision a flag flown proudly after battle, or a sign that lets everyone know what your business is. My hope is to always display him in my life, to hoist up my Banner so that I will not have to speak but everyone will know who is Lord.
MikeyAnn ~
ReplyDeleteYou picked a name few people think about. I gave oldest daughter the middle name "Victoria" because of the victory we know in Christ. When I think "Nissi," I think of not only victory, but also the identity we have in Christ as that banner waves.
El Elyon. God Most High. It speaks of His sovereignty, and I've had to lean on that oh so many times.
ReplyDeleteAnd excited about the news.
I love all the Jehovah names - whatever whenever wherever he is - I AM. But I suppose simple me always settles into Abba, Daddy, Papa. Thanks Anne for your labor of love
ReplyDeleteSnady ~
ReplyDeleteI love Elyon for the image of protection also. Psalm 91 brings out the shadow of His wings image--His sovereign, majestic wings. When King Jesus speaks of gathering His people under His wings, I think Elyon with peace. : )
Doug ~
ReplyDeleteAh. I AM. You send my heart and mind spinning, ready to abandon all fiction work and plunge into the back burner Names of God bigger project. *sigh* I wait for His timing.
I think El Shaddai may be one of mine ... possibly because of the song.
ReplyDeleteSusan ~
ReplyDeleteThe song is beautiful, and so is the name. The Almighty God El Shaddai holds the power to give life. The day is not so very far in the future when we shall finally know just how abundantly.
It changes, you know, depending on where life has me. But right now? Jehovah Shammah. Jehovah in particular because of the sense of His becoming known, He is accessible, knowable. But Shammah because of the promise of restoration.
ReplyDeleteAnd this project sounds perfect, Anne. I'm delighted at the invitation you've received.
Lyla ~
ReplyDeleteYour comment greatly intrigues me. You are evidently familiar with the lone context where "Jehovah Shammah" appears (Ezekiel 48:35), and its painstaking details concerning the land to be one day restored for the tribes of Israel.
Others have also referred to "Jehovah Shammah" as a name of God. But it is actually the name of a city. Though my past thoughts about the name had been more about the Lord's desire to have fellowship with His people and dwell in their midst, I so, SO deeply appreciate the emphasis you have put on restoration. It is because He first restores us that we are able to have fellowship with Him.