Day 2 - Growing Strong to Carry On

“But you, O LORD, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. Look down and have mercy on me. Give your strength to your servant; save me, the son of your servant.” (Psalm 86:15-16, NLT)

“Then I heard the LORD asking, ‘Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?’ I said, ‘Here I am. Send me.’” (Isaiah 6:8, NLT)

“Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11, NLT)

Weak-kneed and fainthearted. That’s how I felt when I flew across the continent to attend my first writers’ conference. I had never traveled so far alone, I would know no one at the event, and I knew nothing about writing for publication. So why did I go? Because I sensed God’s nudge to do so. I considered Him to be my Master, and I viewed myself as His servant, so obedience seemed the only right response.

God frequently gives His children assignments for which they either feel woefully inadequate or lack the resources needed. Understanding His character and position as revealed through His Hebrew name Adonai strengthens us to say yes.

The name Adonai means “Lord and Supreme Master” and appears more than four hundred times in the Old Testament. Adonai usually translates into English as “Lord,” spelled with a capital L followed by lower case “ord.” It denotes God, the Creator, as rightful owner of everything in heaven and on earth, including us. It also implies relationship between Creator and creation: He is the Master and therefore exercises authority over us while we, His slaves, obey Him with due respect.

The mention of slavery makes us cringe, but in Old Testament times, biblical laws protected slaves. Masters ensured slaves’ well-being by providing housing, food, and other necessities. They equipped them with the training, tools, and equipment necessary for their work and often included them as family members.

This historical context depicts the relationship between Adonai and followers of Jesus Christ. As Lord and Supreme Master, He is fully invested in our well-being. His intent toward us is always good, and when He gives an assignment, He will see to it that we have what’s needed to accomplish it. Moses experienced this truth. When God appointed him to lead the Israelites from captivity, he said, “O LORD [Adonai], I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled” (Exodus 4:10 NLT). Moses felt unqualified and scared, but he obeyed, and Adonai strengthened him and equipped him with everything needed for the job.

Author Henry Blackaby wrote that God always gives assignments that are bigger than us, and our response reveals what we believe to be true about Him. Those assignments might make us feel weak-kneed and faint-hearted, but when we believe that God is our Lord and Supreme Master and we are His slaves, then obeying His directives is the only right response. We can say yes and trust Adonai to help us.