THE NAMES OF GOD.

The God Who is present.

You may be wondering, why study the Names of God?
Jesus let us in on the relevance of knowing the Names of God.
In John 17:26, He said, in a conversation with the Father:
“And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, THAT THE LOVE WITH WHICH YOU LOVED ME MAY BE IN THEM, AND I IN THEM.”

So we are learning about the names of God, that our hearts may be established in His love, the very love with which He loved Jesus Christ, the Son of His love!

What does a name tell us? What’s in a name that gives it such power?
Do names have any more significance besides identification?

Names are revealing. Names, especially in the Eastern cultures carried far more significance than they do in the Western world.

In the ancient civilization, names were thought to reveal the essential nature and character of a person – the way he/she reasons and does things.

With this background insight, it becomes easier to understand the Names of God and how they give us a revelation of Who He is and what He does. Studying the Names of God would reveal His love nature. And you could never know of His love without falling head-over-heels in love with Him. ?

We shall start with the name JEHOVAH SHAMMAH, which means the-Lord-is-present.

“The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits. “And the name of the city from that time on will be: the Lord is there.”
~ Ezekiel 48:35

This Name speaks of the relational nature of God. We see Him in the Garden of Eden, having intimacies with man and His wife. He cherished His communion with them. Then sin comes in and destroys that beautiful relationship.
But that’s not all. Next, we see God sacrificing His very own Son, to reconcile man back to Himself and restore that precious relationship He once had with humanity.

God is a Father Who loves to have a vital relationship with His children. He wants to be present in your life. He longs to be involved with every detail of your life. He doesn’t want to be distant. No!
He is not an absentee Father. No!
He yearns to live, not just with you, but in you, in your heart… To dance with you, sing over you, cry with you, and rejoice with you… To comfort, guide, strengthen and watch over you.

He’s engraved you on the palm of His hands. Your face is ever before Him. He would never leave nor forsake you.

“…for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]”
~Hebrews 13:5, AMP

This truth should be a shield, to protect your heart from the feeling of loneliness and helplessness.
For you’re NEVER ALONE!

He is the God Who is present!

Have you ever felt like you can take it no more with some persons in your life?
Or maybe you have to put up with a nagging parent or an “impossible” employer, and you’re beginning to feel you have endured for so long and can’t go any further?
Or maybe you outrightly feel like you don’t have the energy to love.

Relationships demand and take alot from us – emotionally, mentally and physically. And for difficult ones, it can be really exhausting, taking every ounce of your emotional strength.

I have had to put up with some persons at certain times in my life, who were hellbent on ruining my reputation and discrediting the work of God in my life. They said all kinds of things against me. But I was not permitted (by God) to hit them back. ?

Rather, I was commanded to respond to them with love. With love? Yes, with love. This was a very difficult time in my life. The natural inclination was to hit back, good measure running over. But I had a strong restraint from within. That’s when I realized that it takes more energy loving than hating. Because hating comes natural, but loving takes such determination. Such energy.

What I needed was the energy to love those “undeserving” persons. The strength to bless those who were cursing me. The energy to pray FOR, and NOT AGAINST my persecutors. The ability to accommodate the “irritating.”

I saw something really powerful, that blesses me so much. It’s found in Colossians 1:11
Here was apostle Paul praying for the Colossians during a tough time in their lives. He prayed for them that they might “be INVIGORATED and STRENGTHENED with all power according to the might of his glory, [to exercise] every kind of ENDURANCE and PATIENCE (perseverance and forbearance) with JOY.” (MSG)

Wow, what a prayer!
Always remember this: there is energy for any difficult relationship. Your relationship can never become so difficult, that the ability of God will not be sufficient for you to handle it.

God wants to give you the ability to hang in there, without quitting or withdrawing your love. He wants to lift you above depression or gloom, and cause you to go through that ordeal with patience and exuberant joy. He wants to make your heart so strong, that you won’t be exhausted any longer, but be full of such JOY.
He wants to reinforce your heart with His ability, to keep loving that deviant child, that absentee father, that uncaring person, with all your heart while God works on their minds, to save them.

When faced with difficult people, never sink into depression nor give up. Rather, turn to God for the spiritual energy to love such people. Love ain’t weak; it’s invigorated by God Himself, to stand up to challenges, with joy!

When you feel weak or you don’t seem to have the energy to continue, turn to God for a recharge. Ask to be invigorated and strengthened, to exercise endurance and patience. But more, to be full of JOY!