Knowing His Names

Knowing His Names

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you. Psalm 9:10

I’m convinced that our puny or incorrect perspective of God is a big part of why we get discouraged when waves of problems hit us. When we forget how able and awesome God is, it’s hard to resist negative thoughts. That’s why God gives us reminders like the one in today’s verse. Our faith in God develops as we know his names, because his names reveal his character and nature. Having lived with my husband, Holmes, for thirty-eight years, I have come to know and experience the different aspects of his nature as my companion, lover, best friend, prayer partner, generous giver, father of our children, grandfather, builder of beautiful homes, and much more.

In a similar way, we come to know more of God as we experience different aspects of his character and person—what the Bible calls his “names”—through the ways he reveals himself in its pages. Thus I’ve found that when I’m distressed by a situation, one of the best antidotes is to refocus on God by meditating on his names. When our homes are filled with irritation and stress, we can focus on the Prince of Peace and invite him into our midst. When we or a loved one has a broken heart or a body in need of mending, we can call on Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord Who Heals.

May we be like Moses, who “kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). May we believe that God is able to handle every situation and that he is sufficient for all we will face today and during the rest of our journey on earth. —CHERI

Lord, as I pray and live, remind me of your names and attributes. Reveal yourself to me right where I am. May I see you more clearly and love you more dearly day by day.

What is my dream of God’s purpose? His purpose is that I depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay in the middle of the turmoil calm and unperplexed, that is the end of the purpose of God. God is not working towards a particular finish; His end is the process that I see Him walking on the waves, no shore in sight, no success, no goal, just the absolute certainty that it is all right because I see Him walking on the sea. It is the process, not the end, which is glorying to God.

—OSWALD CHAMBERS (1874–1917), SCOTTISH BIBLE TEACHER, YMCA CHAPLAIN IN EGYPT