Category: Names of God

The Power of the Forgiver!

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When one thinks of Lent, one of the main things that comes to mind is repentance. Being sorry or sorrowing over your sins is not all that is involved on our part. It is not enough to be sorry, you must move forward away from the sin diligently turning in a new direction with a new attitude. Just as your mother would not let you get away with saying, “I’m sorry” in a snarky or sarcastic tone, so too God demands that our repentance be genuine and lead to a transformative walk with Him. This describes our part- our attitude, but God’s part is different. He is the forgiver of sins. He promises to forgiveness in 1 John 1:9 “ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We do not have the power to forgive sin and clean ourselves- that is all God! Forgiveness is a part of His nature or character. Here are some key verses for you to meditate upon about God being the Forgiver:

Micah 7:18-19 I love this image of what God does with our sins. “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity  and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. 19 He will again have compassion on us;  he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins  into the depths of the sea.

Isaiah 43:25 God is unlike humans who seem to never forget wrongs done to them or are slow to forgive. “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. God will not hold our past sins against us! Praise God!

Psalm 103:12- how far does God take our sins? “as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”

Colossians 1:13-14 These verses remind us of the heart of God and where forgiveness comes from, Jesus. “ He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

What should be our response after receiving forgiveness from God though Jesus? Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

Forgiveness begins with God’s Holy Spirit working in our hearts to convict us of our sin, showing us where we are falling short and leading us to our own realization and sorrow over our sin. Then God begins the repairing of our souls with His wonderful forgiveness though our faith in Jesus. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can experience God’s forgiveness in full which leads to a changed life. In that transformed life, 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” New life comes through faith from a heart of repentance. In that new life, our love for Jesus leads us to act differently towards others being kind, tenderhearted and forgiving of each other.

Never underestimate the power of God’s forgiveness which leads to transformation! With God all things are possible, keep on praying for those loved ones and friends to come to know the great Forgiver!

Linda

His Sacrifice Leads to My Rewards Through Faith

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Have you ever thought of God as a rewarder? Genesis 15:1 describes him this way, “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” This was just prior to Abraham questioning God. He wanted to know how this could be as he did not even have a descendent. God had promised Abraham countless descendants in Genesis 12. Here God reiterates his promises to Abraham in verses 5-6, “And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” Abraham believed God totally. His faith had been counted to him as right ness before God.

Hebrews 11:6, one of my verses for the year, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Here we see that without faith in who He is, we cannot please God and that faith in Him we will be rewarded.

What kind of reward is implied here? God was promising Abraham a line of descendants when he physically did not have children. Amazingly, Abraham believed God! His faith was rewarded as he continued to seek God and walk with him. He did indeed have Isaac the child of promise in his old age. How else was Abraham rewarded by God? He was provided righteousness through his faith. We too can experience this righteousness when we believe in Jesus. Through faith, believing in Jesus, God provides us with eternal life, hope in the future and salvation. God desires to shower us with blessings both material and spiritual as we walk with Him each day. How often do we only look at what God provides or does not provide in the big things? How about the sunset, sunrise, growth of plants in our yard, a smile from a neighbor all of these can be counted as God’s provision too. God is in the details of life. Looking for Him in the ordinary will show you extraordinary things about God and His provision.

Here are a few more verses about God’s rewards:

James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” Being steadfast during those everyday trials will bring rewards now and assuredly in the future. Luke 6:23 “Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.”

Paul’s idea of God’s reward to him, 1 Corinthians 9:18 “What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.” Being able to tell others about Jesus Paul considered a privilege and a reward! Do we?

Colossians 3:22-23 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Knowing that God is watching over us and seeing what we do for Him reminds us that He deems it important enough to reward us for it.

Acts 4:12– salvation given by Christ is definitely a great reward. “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

John 17:3, eternal life, “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.“

Having the fruits of the Holy Spirit indwelling us, Galatians 5:23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

As you can see, scriptures is rich in descriptions of the benefits and rewards provided through faith in Jesus. I will leave you with one of my favorites Romans 6:23 “ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God is indeed generous with His reward towards those who believe! Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can be the recipient of the many blessings and rewards my Father God has provided though faith in His son. Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice for me.

Linda

The God Who Heals

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Since the names of God appeared in the Bible which was written in Hebrew and later translated to English and many other languages, I will often use the Hebrew name for God as it would have appeared and speak of its English translation. Today’s name Jehovah Rapha is one I hold most dear. It means The Lord who heals or is the healer. This first appears in Exodus 15 right after they had come through the parted Red Sea and seen the destruction of the army of Egypt that was chasing them. They had journeyed a bit further and were very thirst and cried out to God. God showed Moses a log to put into the water to make it sweet. God speaks in Exodus 15:26“ saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.” Not only will God be their protector, provider and defender but here He adds He will be their healer.

In Psalm 103:1-3 David extols the Lord and what He can do. Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and all that is within me,
    bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
    who heals all your diseases,

The psalmist from Psalm 147: 1-5 praises God for His many powers among them dealing with Israel, healing broken hearts, binding wounds, numbering and naming the starts with His power, which is beyond measure.
Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
    for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
    he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted
    and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars;
    he gives to all of them their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
    his understanding is beyond measure.

How have you experienced God as your healer? Has He seen you though illnesses, injuries of both body and soul? Not only does God heal but he binds up our wounds. He is the ultimate bandage that truly heals. I know times when I have been wounded in the heart by relationships or in the hardships of life, God has sent someone to pray for me, hold me and uplift me so I can remain focused upon Him. When my wounds have been caused by my own sin, He has forgiven and restored me as I repented. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know His healing personally and seek His healing whenever I am in need. Thank you Jesus!

Linda

P.S. I came learn a long time ago that just because God can heal all things He does not. Some illnesses are healed only in death and I can trust God that my friend or loved one is whole and cured in heaven. It is best to pray God’s will be done, not ours. Paul prayed to be able to visit the Romans in Romans 15:33 “so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company.” He wanted to go but was leaving it up to God, holding his going with an open hand not demanding of God but requesting. James 4:13 puts it this way, saying this or that will happen,“ Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” The ultimate decision is up to God and He knows what needs to happen and when for His will to be perfectly complete. We need to pray and trust Him. Knowing that the healing will happen-whether it be not or later- it will happen as God promises to be our healer!

Where do you place your Hope?

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I love today’s name for God as the early Christians called him their blessed hope. If you had to name your best hope, would it be Christ? Paul writes to young Titus who he sent to Crete to minister to the Christians there in Titus 2:11-13 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” I love this portion of scripture as Paul reminds Titus, and us too, that Jesus brought salvation for all people. Jesus trains us through the Holy Spirit that lives with us to renounce or turn away from evil and the things of the world that would tempt us to sin. God desires that we live holy godly lives characterized by self-control and rightness. Thankfully, our rightness comes from Jesus and when we accept Jesus as our savior He covers us with His rightousness so that we can stand before God pure and holy. What a blessed gift to us! Paul wanted Titus to look forward to Christ’s return and live a godly life until He does return. That is our desire too, that we many glorify God in our lives. Jesus is our blessed hope as our future with Him is secure and upheld by God’s promises.

David speaks also of our blessed hope in Psalm 71:5 “For you, O Lord, are my hope,
    my trust, O Lord, from my youth.” Do you see the hope the Lord provides in Jesus? He gives us hope as we place our trust in Him! David had trusted God since his days as a shepherd boy as he faced the lion and the bear protecting his father’s sheep. He knew God personally and trusted Him and placed his trust and hope in Him.

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I am assured of His blessed hope for my salvation, my future and my walk with Him- day by day-fearlessly! Today focus on the blessed hope we have in Jesus and see if it does not motivate and lighten your heart and your steps.

Linda

Forgiveness came at a Price-Provided by our Good Shepherd

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The name for God that I chose for today is mostly found in the New Testament. However, one of the many prophecies about the good shepherd appears in Micah 5:2-5a.  “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
    from ancient days.
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time
    when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return
    to the people of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
    to the ends of the earth.
5 And he shall be their peace. The Hebrew word for Good Shepherd is El Rohi.

We see in these verses that Jesus, the good shepherd, will be born in Bethlehem (2) and that his name and majesty comes from His God (4). Jesus was both man and God incarnate during his time on earth. He calls himself our good shepherd. John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” 14-15“ I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

Isaiah 40: 10-11 makes it clear that the Lord is the good shepherd to come. “Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense before him. 11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
    he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom,
    and gently lead those that are with young.”

What does this name mean for you and me? Both the Old and New Testaments tell us that God is the Good Shepherd. A shepherd loves his sheep, protects, feeds, defends and is willing to die for them. Jesus came willingly and died for us bearing our sins on the cross. If Jesus had not come and died on the cross we would still be dead in our sins, as HE provided forgiveness and atonement before the Father. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, we can know HE is this good shepherd and He made atonement for us and our sins so we can stand before God forgiven. He will care for us eternally holding us close to himself.

What an amazing thing it is to be loved and cared for by God! Hold on to this truth today and feel His loving arms around you as you go about your day. He is there and cares for you!

Linda

A Great Place to Start- God Almighty

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Let our Lenten journey begin as we look into the names of God from His Word. How does God refer to himself or how do others see Him? What can we learn about Him from these names and what impact can it have upon our daily lives through the eyes of Jesus?

The name I will start with today is El Shaddai (Hebrew word) translated God Almighty, Lord of the Mountains, All-Sufficient One. This first appears in Genesis 17:1 where God is speaking to Abraham. “When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,” This term is used to refer to God 30 times in the Old Testament and 9 in the New Testament. It is an important distinction for us that God is the mighty one. He is the one to whom we can turn and the one who will provide for us. I love the verse in 2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” All aspects of God are sufficient to meet our needs. There is nothing or no one who is greater or mightier to whom we can turn.

Another place El Shaddai is used is in Psalm 91:1 “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” This verse is particularly meaningful to me as I think of my friend Bob when I see or hear it. He was a WWII veteran who flew bombing missions during the war. He said this verse was the SOS or 911 verse for servicemen who were headed into danger. They could hold onto the truth that if you know Jesus you are under God’s wings of protection. I love that thought and image.

What does the mightiness of God and his All sufficiency mean to you? Do you claim His promises and depend upon His strength each day? Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, we have assurance of His love and protection. Jesus said, in John 13:34, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” 1 John 5:18 “We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.” Lean into God’s love and protection today as you thank Him for His great provision in Jesus!

Linda

Are you ready for Lent 2026? See my focus.

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Lent is fast approaching and I have been praying and asking God what HE wants me to use as my guide this year during Lent. I was surprised that my answer came from an unexpected pdf that was provided on the names of God by the Bible Recap group. After I printed it out, I realized that it could very well guide me through the Lenten season and reinforce the blogs I did at Advent where I looked for God in all of the Christmas story. I love blogging about God, his names and his attributes as they give me insight into the depth of God’s love and care for me.

Take the challenge with me and join me each day for a short plug-in to God’s character and see if it does not enrich your Lenten journey. Since I did not grow up observing Lent, I have taken it on as an add to my life and not what I can give up. How can I add something meaningful that costs me personally so I can identify more fully with the Lord Jesus.

I welcome your company in this journey and pray it will be beneficial to you each and every day until we reach Easter Sunday!

Linda

God’s Revelations Through Advent=God’s Abounding Attributes

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Advent of 2019 has been very confirming and uplifting to me.  As I wrote about the Christmas story, Messiah’s long awaited arrival on earth, I was filled with wonder and praise for our Almighty God.  Seeing the story anew through the lens of who-is-godGod’s attributes gave me a glimpse into the magnificence and depth of our God.   I saw God’s accessibility, grace, omniscience, as a person, His incomprehensibility, invisibility, holiness, as a preserver, merciful, a promise-keeper, righteous, sovereign, perfect, omnipotent, provider, merciful again, glorious, Savior, faithful, just, wise, Father, guide, love and eternal.

For 25 days we have looked into the character of God and reflected on how His character could impact us.  God desires that we are accessible to Him and to others.  He gives us grace and asks that we show grace to others.  God alone is omniscient, incomprehensible, invisible, personal, preserver of all things, righteous, sovereign, perfect, omnipotent, glorious, Savior, promise keeper and the giver of eternal life.  He calls us to be holy as He is holy and to wear the righteousness of Christ though faith in Him.  Be merciful towards others and lend them helping hands.  God wants us to be faithful to Him and to those around us, just in our dealings with others, a giver of wise council, good father’s and mothers, guide others towards Him and to be open to His leading.  He wants us to keep our word and follow His Word.  God desires that we love Him and love those He has placed in our life as much as we love ourselves.

David reached the following conclusion about God in Psalm 86:10-13.

psalm 86 10No pagan god is like you, O Lord.
    None can do what you do!
9 All the nations you made
    will come and bow before you, Lord;
    they will praise your holy name.
10 For you are great and perform wonderful deeds.
    You alone are God.

more like JesusThank you for joining me this Advent.  May you be blessed as you endeavor to live for Jesus and grow more and more life Him each day.

Linda

I AM … Your Savior

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I amGod refers to himself in the Old Testament as Your Savior in Isaiah 49:26 and 60:16.  In both cases His name is linked to prophesy in regard to the destruction of Jerusalem when the Babylonians came and destroyed it and took the people off to Babylon.  The city was held under siege and the people suffered greatly, at one point even resorting to cannibalism.  Isaiah’s words were to be ones of encouragement that God will be evident in the dealings of His people.   Isaiah 49:26

“I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh,
    and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine.
Then all flesh shall know
    that I am the Lord your Savior,
    and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”    Again in Isaiah 60:16

“You shall suck the milk of nations;
    you shall nurse at the breast of kings;
and you shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior
    and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

I am your godThe people of Israel were to know that in both hard and good times God will be with them, He will be their Savior, Redeemer and Mighty One.   We can be encouraged like they were that God alone is God, He is our Redeemer and has plans for our redemption through Christ His Son, and He alone is the Mighty One from generation to generation.  The prophet pointed out specifically that God is your Savior and your Redeemer.  He is a personal God who loves each one of us and wants to have a relationship with us.  He desires that we accept His Son as Savior and open our hearts to His redemptive plan.

Here are a few verses to mediate upon today as you consider your Savior and Redeemer.  1 Corinthians 1:30 “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,”  and Colossians 1:13-14 “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

May Jesus be your Savior and Redeemer today bringing you hope and assurance of salvation!

Linda

I AM ….the LORD

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YHWHMultiple times in scripture God refers to himself as LORD.  When the name Lord is written all in capital letters, it refers to the name ‘Yahweh’,  YHWH which was so revered that it did not even say it aloud or write it completely as they left out the vowels.  Another translation of this is Jehovah.  In Exodus 3:14-15, Moses is called by God to return to Egypt, confront Pharaoh and lead the people.  Moses voices several concerns to God and asks, What do I say when the people ask who sent me?  “God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.”  God refers to himself as I AM and also The LORD.   God repeated His name in Exodus 6:2-3 “God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the LORD. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them.”    The people did not have the full revelation of God yet and did not fully know Him.  The full revelation of God came with Jesus Christ.

David often refers to God as LORD in the Psalms.  Psalm 91 has several verses that point out the complete trustworthiness of the LORD and how He loves and cares for those who love Him.  Psalm 91

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.                               
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”                                                  God is my refuge.

3 Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;                         God is my protector.
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,                          God’s presence dispels fear.
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you        God cares for me.
    to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;      God desires our love.
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;              God is omnipresent.
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”                       God has salvation plans for me.


psalm 91Today meditate on the completeness of your LORD and how HE reaches down and touches you.

Linda