But They Don't Deserve It

But they don't deserve it, God...

Haven’t we all thought that at some point?

What’s worse—we’re often right.

We watch people we don’t believe deserve blessing get blessed, and something in us recoils. In our hearts, offense quietly takes root. We compare. We calculate. We wonder why obedience seems overlooked while recklessness appears rewarded.

Just for the record, I live on both sides of that tension.

I don’t deserve to hear the Lord’s voice or to be led by His love—yet here I am, walking with the Great I AM. At the same time, I struggle when people who intentionally cause deep emotional pain to others appear to thrive. Call me human—because we all are.

Over the last few years, the Lord has repeatedly drawn me to Luke 18, particularly the parable of the unrighteous judge and the persevering widow (Luke 18:1–8). It’s tempting to read that passage and conclude that God is moved only by persistence—that if we are loud enough, relentless enough, or irritating enough, He will finally respond. Maybe that’s where the phrase “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” comes from.

But Jesus isn’t presenting God as an unrighteous judge.

In fact, He is doing the opposite.

God is not distant, annoyed, or unwilling. He is not withholding until we wear Him down. He literally gave His own life so that we could come boldly before His throne. We don’t need to pester Him into compassion—He is compassion.

Immediately after that parable, Jesus tells another story that reveals how we are meant to approach God at all.

Luke 18:9–14 (ESV)
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt…

Two men pray. One is a Pharisee—outwardly righteous, disciplined, obedient, and confident in his standing before God. The other is a tax collector—someone who wouldn’t even lift his eyes to heaven, but simply cried out, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

Jesus tells us that the tax collector went home justified.

I don’t think we fully grasp how repulsive a tax collector would have been in Jesus’ day. This wasn’t like working for the IRS (no offense to anyone who does). These men worked for the oppressors of God’s people. They partnered with the enemy. They enriched themselves by stealing from their own community.

And yet, Jesus says that man—the one painfully aware of his sin—was justified rather than the Pharisee who checked every visible box of obedience.

Why?

Because God looks at the heart. And God alone searches it.

This is not a license to walk in sin as though it doesn’t matter. That is not the heart of this message at all. What this is about is something far more subtle—and far more dangerous.

It’s about becoming greedy with the kingdom of God.

It’s about becoming the elder brother in Luke 15, angry that the prodigal is welcomed home with celebration. We say we want sinners to repent—but only if they end up with less than we have. Only if their restoration doesn’t make our obedience feel insignificant.

When we think that way, we reveal something sobering: that perhaps our walk with God was never about submission to His will, but about earning blessing for ourselves.

God’s heart toward sinners is not reluctant—it is eager.
Not resentful—it is redemptive.
Not transactional—it is overflowing with mercy.

And when we struggle with that, it doesn’t mean God is wrong.
It means He’s inviting us deeper—into humility, into surrender, and into His heart.

Because in the kingdom of God, grace has never been fair.
And thank God for that.

Frustration, Favor, and the Finishing Work of Christ

Merry Christmas!

I’m well aware this is not the actual date of Jesus Christ’s birth—and honestly, I couldn’t care less. What matters is that He was born. He was God's Son, lived a life led by the Spirit of God, died for our sins while we were still His enemies, counted us as the joy set before Him, and was resurrected on the third day. That is what we celebrate.

Over the past year—probably longer if I’m being honest—I’ve been walking backward in my relationship with Christ. I encountered adversity I wasn’t prepared to handle, and instead of giving it to Him, I searched the world for comfort. I intentionally drove myself into confusion because I didn’t want the truth to be true. I thought if I ignored it long enough, it would go away, people would change their minds about me, and we could all be friends.

It doesn’t work that way.

That approach only keeps people and situations in your life far longer than they were ever meant to stay. And once you’ve allowed yourself to drift far enough from Him, finding your way back is harder than most people realize. For the last fifteen years, I’ve preached that you can simply turn back to Him—that He’s right there, ready to receive you, and that you can move forward from the place you wandered off.

I still believe that.
But I’ve learned there are nuances you don’t understand until you have to live them.

First, the place you think you wandered away from faith usually isn’t where you actually did.
Second, you have to allow the Lord to reveal what you never dealt with in the first place—because that’s often why you strayed.
Third, release the urge to tear yourself down. There are plenty of people willing to do that for you, and they don’t need your agreement. Self-condemnation only slows the process.
Fourth, any justification you make for staying where you are isn’t really a justification—it’s an excuse that keeps you stuck.
Fifth, God’s favor is often found most clearly in the places you least deserve it, sometimes even more than in the seasons where you were actively expressing His love and truth.
Sixth, continue to speak truth over yourself and your circumstances regardless of outcomes. This is where faith is tested.
And finally, forgive yourself and come back. You may never receive compassion from the people you want it from most—and that’s okay. Some people’s pain prevents them from seeing you differently, and you can’t change that. Let them.

I am highly favored, deeply frustrated (and probably frustrating), and walking in the finished work of Christ. I’m grateful for what I’ve learned through years of studying the Word, and now I’m realizing how necessary it is to apply it. I feel stuck—but feelings lie.

My prayer is that those of us who believe our circumstances are nothing more than the irreversible consequences of our choices would begin declaring the truth of God’s Word over our lives. It may take time—especially if the choices that led us astray didn’t happen overnight—but we will return to where He desires us to be.

The Lord cares more about His glory than we do. So if it’s truly our heart to glorify Him, we can trust Him to lead us there. I’m not promising it will be easy, attractive, or unfold the way you hoped—but it will glorify Him. And that is what matters most.

Be blessed, and be a blessing. ❤️

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

‘Actions speak louder than words’ is a well known saying, and for the most part,

true. However, I've come to realize that discernment is still necessary.

People can smile in your face, yet can vilify you behind your back. People might

help you only to feel good about themselves, while still being judgmental. This is

why it's so important to ask the Lord to search our hearts in order to reveal any

wickedness, lest we do this to others.

The Lord loves answering those prayers. It's the human condition to want to feel

good about ourselves, but it's the sin nature to judge and compare ourselves.

Here's the thing though. We are all on a sea of glass, and no one is better than

another. Yes, there are people I would rather not associate with, and wouldn't

shed a tear if they never came to know God, but that's the sin nature in me, not

God's heart. I guess that's what being "normal" is, but children of God are called

to more, to much more.

In this life, all we can hope for is that God purifies our hearts so we stand before

Him sanctified. Humans will always accuse and hurl attacks towards others, and

many times it will be towards people we care for very much. We must forgive

them for their accusations and not hold it against them, or else we participate in

sin ourselves and step out of the divine transformation of our hearts that we've

been called to.

Some of us are pretty strange birds, and that's part of the beauty of life. There's

a whole internet world of cookie cutter families posting their lives in hopes of

gaining followers who want to mimic every move. There is nothing wrong with

taking things we respect or admire, and making them part of ourselves. I just

hope we are allowing the Lord to have His input on those characteristics.

The painful lesson I'm learning this season is to embrace who I am, and to not

hold it against those that don't want to understand or embrace me. Being

someone who tries to understand everything about everyone, is challenging for

me. I want to relate with people who do not care to delve deeper into my life or to

have compassion and understand me. But, I've come to accept that's probably

how they're wired, and I'm just as confusing to them.

We all have issues. There's no way around accepting that. For example, as

much as I'm trying to not be addicted to my phone, I found a social media reel

that helped me to better understand rejection, while the Lord was working a deep

transformation in my heart.

The reel was a mama and her son. She held various items in her hand and

asked her son to pick one. He did, and she immediately asked what was wrong

with the other items, and he responded "Nothing." That's applicable to us as

well. Just because we weren't picked doesn't mean there's anything wrong with

us, we just weren't chosen.

If I go to buy myself flowers, and I leave with a stargazer lily, it doesn't mean I

also don't love the rose, or the tulips, the carnations, or even the baby's breath. It

just means the stargazer lily is what spoke to my heart that day. I want to apply

that to my everyday interactions. We like to think if someone or something isn't

chosen, that something else was actually better, when that's not always the

case. And quite possibly, rarely the case.

I am grateful that the Lord has allowed this last season of personal rejection

because it's helped me to come to terms with the truth that His love is enough.

I've always said it, but I've never walked it. And if we're going to be brutally

honest, I'm still not walking in it.

We all have a wall we use to protect ourselves from pain, despite pain being

necessary for character development. We can't protect ourselves from others,

and also grow to the stature that the Lord desires. He will protect us, He will lead

us, He will love us, and He will heal us.

We protect ourselves by immersing our hearts in Him, and then listening to His

still and quiet voice, no matter what our flesh desires or our mind says.

God is all about exposing, but He exposes for purpose and redemption. All

hidden things will become known and that's a good thing for those that want to

know Him. The less the enemy can hold over us, the less ability he has to make

us into his personal marionettes.

It's not hard to manipulate people, but it's ugly as heck to do so. Release the

need to control, and put it in God's hands, for He makes all things new in His

timing. We want clean hands and a pure heart to pursue the MORE of Him, and

this is the season He wants to pour it out.

We need not be concerned that the darkness keeps spreading, for His kingdom

and its light are doing the same. Change your focus. God's love is our priority,

we must feed upon it, for it's only in doing so that we can know who we are, and

what He's called us to.

If not, we become like worker bees, and yes we're doing what we should, but it's

almost robotic and we were called to so much more.

I'm not sure if this will even make sense to most, but it marks a very important

stage in my life, and ultimately that's what this blog is for. I had thought I was

helping others, when in reality, I was keeping a journal that would help me. We

only know what we know, and we all know it partly. The body of Christ is coming

into its fullness, and I'm grateful that I'm allowed to be a part of that, even in my

struggle to understand all things. Be blessed and be a blessing <3

Pure Chaos

The Lord said he was going to start with His house, and He was not lying.  EVERYTHING that can be shaken, will be.  I did not make it through the sifting of the wheat and tares, matter of fact, I ran away from my faith with my whole being after an event in my life, that I blamed on my handling of a situation over a decade earlier.  The hilarious part, simultaneously the heart shattering part, is to find that no matter how stupid I am, and how vehemently I question Him, He listens, and He answers.  He isn't a genie in a bottle, He's not concerned with appearances.  He also doesn't tell me everything I want to know, and He's normally in opposition to what I want. Hence, my tantrum this last year and a half as I had the audacity to believe Him to be unfaithful due to the pain and suffering of those around me, and what He allowed to sift me.  He doesn't flinch though.  He doesn't get offended when I question Him, because He's not surprised that I am.  

However, from what I can understand, He does require those that believe to respond to His leading to the very best of our ability in all areas. And that is where I fell off, or where I saw my immense limitations, your call.  This year has taught me so much I never wanted to learn, and also everything I needed to. He loves me, even when I don't act like I love Him, because He is faithful, even when I'm not.  I want to love God more than anything, but right now, I don't seem to love Him enough.  And He understands. The God who created ALL things, that can do anything, wants a relationship with flawed humans. Humans who haven't personally seen Him, but know of His mercy and love, because that was His plan for the world. I don't personally approve of that plan, and it does not matter.  Truth doesn't need anyone to believe in it for it to be true. Lord, please open our eyes and soften our hearts. We need you, even if we think we don't. Let's not put a box around that which we don't truly understand.  Let God be God. Or don't. 

Regardless, Lord God, start with me.

Little White Lies

My days used to contain an innumerable amount of little white lies which never at all bothered me in the least. I found them to be necessary and a part of life. After all, what does it hurt to increase a friend's self-esteem by telling them they look great when mediocre would be a more appropriate word, or telling someone that I had already committed to doing X because I didn't want to go to Y with them, or even trying to comfort someone by telling them they did all they could if I know that's not the truth of the matter. That was my thought process, keep the peace, make other people feel better, don't hurt others feelings, and go on my merry lil' way.

While for the most part I still have that same thought process, how I had previously implemented that is no longer an acceptable means of communication for me. What started as a sense of knowing I wasn't being 100% truthful has developed into an unrest in my spirit that doesn't fade until I make it right. Thankfully the Lord allows me to just repent to Him for fudging the truth a bit (AKA lying) and not necessarily having to go to the person. Although, truth be told, there are those times also.

I Thessalonians 5:23-24 says "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it." I know that it's the work of the Spirit of God in my life that is bringing me this conviction. He is working this in my heart and calling me to a higher standard of living than I currently walk in. I welcome and thank Him for this, b/c I desire to see His truth reign in my life.

What's absolutely wonderful is that this revelation of my heart and my character is not me searching myself and finding what I need to be better at, but it's God lovingly showing me what He sees that He'd like to expose for what it is. The more I seek Him, the more I experience His love for me. He is my Father, He desires to train me in the way I should go. As humans, we like to rationalize our behavior and compare ourselves to others to help build us up, and that is NOT the will of God in our lives. The only person we should ever compare ourselves to is Jesus, b/c His sinless walk is what we're called to emulate. Granted, we will never be perfect, but in our love for Him we are called to walk in the truth of it according to the grace of God on our lives. His grace is always sufficient. Ask God if there's anything you're doing that is hurting Him and what He's trying to do in your life? Simple question, and I promise you there's a simple answer, yes there is something, and He loves you so much that He's going to show you if you want Him to.

A toddler in Christ...

I believe that God has revealed to me that in the last 7 yrs, I've grown from an infant in Christ to a toddler in Christ.  The majority of that growth being in the last year and a half as I've applied myself to study the word of God and know personally for myself what He has to say . I feel condemned that it took me 7 yrs to do what I could have done in 6 mo, but I also know that feeling is NOT from Him, and that He's pleased with my passion for Him and my desire for more.


When I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior, and asked for His Holy Spirit to teach me, guide me, and help me, I thought that meant for Him to help me live my life how I wanted.  A few years ago I started getting the revelation that God cares about EVERYTHING that concerns us, and that He didn't create us so that we could live life sprinkled with things from Him, but we are to be consumed with things of Him.  About a year ago, I realized that God has a specific plan and purpose for my life and that if I want to walk in His blessings then I need to be in His will and follow Him in all things towards life.  He still blesses the disobedient and the enemies of His kingdom because He loves them even though they don't return that desire, the old me is proof of that one.  It's that love that I've struggled the most with though.  I won't bother expanding on that, but God has answered the cry of my heart in increasing measure to understand that.  I still live in rebellion to God's Spirit in some things, and in others I've bowed my knee.  I ask God to continue to work in my heart b/c I want to allow Him to be Lord of everything that concerns me.  He has a opinion on what we wear, eat, think, say, and do.  His desire is to bring us into more blessings not to keep us from enjoying life.  It's a outright lie, from the father of lies, that God's desire is to take away the things of the world we enjoy so that we can follow the narrow path towards His heart to bless Him.  If the Christians you know are miserable trying to follow God's ways, then they don't know the Lord, nor have the joy of the Lord as their strength.  


It is a narrow path to inherit the kingdom of God and bring heaven to Earth, that is not a lie.  The blessings that are poured out on those that choose to pursue something higher than what this life has to offer are far beyond what mere words can describe.  It can only be known by those that walk and fight the good fight of faith.  We all have our own individual walks to the kingdom of God, and He meets each of us where we are at, and guides us in His way if we seek Him.  He will never force His will upon us because He gave us free will to choose life or death, blessings or curses.  We suffer the consequences of those decisions both now and eternally, some more in the former and others in the latter.  Our hearts are what's most important to the Lord, not what we do, what church we go to, how many people we've led to the Lord, who we've blessed, how much time we devote to searching Him out, etc...  All those things are fruits of what God is doing in our hearts, and if we follow Him, we will have the fruit to show for it.  As many of Pastors have said, a fruit tree does not strive to bear fruit, it just does b/c that is what it is.  As Christians, Christ-followers, we don't have to strive to be good/just/moral/whatever, we just need to be willing to follow the Spirit of God as He leads us into more of Him.  Christianity is NOT works based, NO ONE will stand at the gates of heaven with a list of why they should be able to enter!!!  It is by the grace of God that we are to inherit the kingdom of God, all we have to do is cooperate with Him in what He's doing in us. 


Life is busy, we are constantly drawn in different directions and fitting in the Lord is close to impossible.  I don't think very many people would argue with that.  What I will say though is that we are not to fit the Lord in to our schedules, that is why it doesn't work, besides a Sunday service weekly and a couple prayers lifted up during the week.  We are to live for Him, and then we will have ample time to spend with Him.  With all the different methods, apps, DVD's, CD's, the list goes on and on I'm sure, we can spend as much time with Him as we want to.  The question apparently is, do we want to spend time with Him?  And if the answer is "No.", then that's okay too.  If you want that to change, ask God to change your heart towards His kingdom, tell Him that you want a relationship with Him, to send His Holy Spirit to lead you into all truth, to give you wisdom, discernment, and understanding.  He will not leave you hanging, even if He doesn't answer that prayer how you think He should.


I'm grateful for what God is continuously doing in my heart and my thought life.  He corrects me multiple times a day, and I'm thankful for it b/c it shows that He does love me, and that even in the little things He's paying attention and is aware of what is going on in my heart.  Love Him!!!


1 Peter 2:2 "as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby" encourages us to begin our journey with  Jesus, as an infant, getting our nourishment from His word so that we may grow and mature.  This is where everyone who wants to know God's heart begins, regardless of physical age.  I began to feel a growing discontent with my spiritual walk and was asking God why and He brought to me two passages that explained why I was not growing in Him as I desired.


1 Corinthians 3:1-3 "1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?"


Hebrews 5:12-14 "12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."

Being still before the Lord

I currently have complete silence surrounding me and am ready for an outpouring of whatever comes in this moment of being still.  Lord as I praise Your name, and meditate on what each one of your names mean in worship of You, allow me to see those dimensions of You in new ways.  I am truly thankful for the necessary work You are doing in my heart, but Lord I ask, seek, and knock diligently requesting a fuller measure of Your Presence in my life.  What I have of You in my life is NOT enough, and I will pursue You until my heart is full.  For those that have eyes to see and ears to hear, God grant us this prayer of requiring more of You.  Lord for those that this is utter foolishness to, bless them abundantly and soften their hearts so that they may also *know* You and Your power available to walk us through times of joy and also deep despair and everything in between.

Even in my constant thirst for more, my desert walk towards the river of life, I am constantly encountering the Lord in more ways.  I see His sanctified children around me, the joy of the Lord being their strength, their hearts always willing to help, their ability to stand on the word of God even when what surrounds them in this life speaks out the opposite, continually seeking God, not waiting until they need something from Him, but enjoying their time spent with Him, every moment of it.  I want that in my own life.  I have attained a touch of it, but not enough to sustain me even on my good days.  I am broken and I know it, and that allows God to do something with me.  It took me a long time to see that I wasn't a 'good person'.  I am made in the Father's image so obviously I have good qualities, as does everyone else, believer's or not.  It's not until we accept Jesus as our Savior and ask Him to send His Spirit to live in us and guide us into all truth that we can truly see how dark our hearts are.  It's nothing to be ashamed of though, this is exactly why Jesus died for us.  Those belittling thoughts we think about other people, that prideful stance we take in our knowledge or in our ability to perform well, the greed that consumes us from the moment we realize there's always more to be had, the vanity, the lust, the selfishness, the hatred, the resentment, the bitterness...  Jesus didn't die for the righteous, he died for the sinners!  When we accept Him, we are made righteous in Him, we are then saints.  We have a role to play in working out our salvation,  and that is to cooperate with the Holy Spirit of God in all things.  Far too many of us gratefully accept our salvation, but never place the Lord where He belongs in our lives.  Why?  Paul urged us not to accept our salvation in vain.  To me, if I do something in vain then there was no point at all to it.  That's a horrible thought when referring to our salvation!  So then, why don't we listen and obey the Spirit of God's leading in His still and quiet impressions on our spirits?  I've come to the conclusion that 1) it's because we're ignorant of the role He is to play, we've been mislead by the God box that we've grown up sitting in, and quite plainly we know of God, but we do not Him personally or 2) we don't trust Him to lead us in all things, we need to make our own decisions and then pray to Him that He helps them work out for our good.  I'm sure there are a myriad of other reasons, but those are the two on my heart.

My heart breaks for both the lost and the found, but lately it's the found that are still lost that make my heart ache.  When Jesus comes back, it will be day of rejoicing and also a day of relentless pain.  When most people say that I used to think believer's rejoice and unbeliever's will know by sight and it'll be too late to save their souls therefore the ensuing pain begins.  I wonder though, Jesus speaks frequently about His kingdom to come and the people to who these things are addressed to are believer's, Spirit-filled believer's at that.  Jesus is coming back and will judge the believer's before the unbeliever's, at least that's what His word says.  How much pain will we be in, when we are held accountable for every thing we've done that we haven't put under the blood of the cross (some believe you're even held accountable for those things too, I personally don't, no scripture to back that one up)?  How will it feel to know that we led such pointless lives, not taking the time to continually lift things up in prayer, not abiding by the word of God that was written down for us so we wouldn't even have to rely on just the Spirit's leading like Jesus and the early apostles did?  We have the book of life at our fingertips and how often to we open it?  How often do we rely on someone to spoon feed us God's word, when we have everything we need to look ourselves?  Why is reading the bible not a priority to Christians?  It's the easiest way to hear from God b/c He inspired it. He knew we'd be living lives surrounded with distractions to keep our focus on anything and everything but Him.  He made it easy for us to see what His heart is for things, but yet we still don't pursue Him passionately.  Why?

Sometimes it's important to ask ourselves Why?  I hope that when you do and the answer you've been giving me as you're reading (b/c you know that we almost always refute and offer mental rebuttals as we read things we don't agree with, LOL) that you would stand solidly on that answer when speaking to the One that loved you so much that He allowed you to live your life however you wanted, serving Him or not, loving Him or not, searching Him or not.  For those that would like to take the time to know God, and who He says He is, I've C&P a list of scriptures from Aboundingjoy.com that discuss them.

The Names of God(Steve Hall—1999)

Introduction

Psalm 113:3 says: From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised

Many times in Scripture we are commanded to praise the NAME of the Lord.

 Ps 8:1: O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

 Ps 29:2-- Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name;

 Ps 7:17  I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.

Ps 66:2  Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.

Ps 100:4  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Ps 103:1 ¶ <<A Psalm of David.>> Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Ps 135:3  Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.

Ps 145:21  My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

Ps 148:13  Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.

Now why are we told to praise His Name?

 In Bible times a name was never just a label you hung on somebody to keep from confusing him with someone else.

 A name expressed the kind of person they were, or were hoped to become.

 That's why God sometimes changed a man's name. He intended for the person's character to be reflected in his name.

 So when He changed Simon to Peter, He said, in effect, "Don't see yourself as wishy-washy. You are a rock, a stone, firmly attached to the foundation stone (which is Christ).

 Saul, "the asked for one" was humbled to Paul--"Little one"

 Jacob "the supplanter" became Israel "who strives with God"

 So, in the case of God Himself, He gives Himself names that are really extensions of Himself. His names reveal His nature and His character.

 We will focus here on the compound names God has given himself, but first I want to briefly touch on four more general names He has given Himself.

 These are all Hebrew words, of course.

  

Elohim

The first name we find of God in the Bible is Elohim. (Genesis 1:1). It is used over 2700 times in the Bible. The prefix "El" signifies  "one who is great, mighty, dreadful." It is also a plural word that suggests the fact that God is a Holy Trinity--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Some say that the word is related to the Hebrew word meaning "to swear" and implies the covenant nature of God. So the word Elohim might have meant to the Hebrews, "The great mighty three-in-one God who establishes and keeps covenant forever."

El Shaddai

El Shaddai (remember the song?) is another name for God. It is used 48 times in Scripture. It is always translated "The Almighty." The first time this name is used is in Genesis 17:1  And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

 This was when God changed Abram's name to Abraham and promised that he would be the father of many nations.

Adonai

A 3^rd name that God uses for Himself is Adonai. It occurs about 300 times in the O.T. This name suggests Lordship and ownership. When God calls Himself by this name, Adonai, He is saying, "I am the One who owns and rules over everthing that exists."

 This is the name that Isaiah used in Chapter 6:1 when he wrote "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple."

 His focus was on the truth that God owns and rules over all that exists.

Yahweh

But the most frequently used name for God  is not Elohim, El Shaddai, or Adonai.

 The most frequently used name for God is YAHWEH or Jehovah.

 It occurs more than 6800 times in the Bible.

 The greatest Jewish commentator on the O.T. of the Middle Ages, Moses Maimonides, said this about the name Jehovah (and it is a true statement), "All the names for God that occur in the Scriptures are derived from His works, except one, and that is Jehovah. And this is called the plain name because it teaches plainly and unequivocally of the substance of God."

 The Word literally means "I Am." It comes from the verb which means "to be" or "to exist."

 In Ex. 3:14, when Moses asked God what His name was so he could tell the Israelites who had sent him, we read, "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM [Yahweh, or Jehovah]: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."

 Jehovah--The Eternal One. The Ever-Living One. The Self-Existent One.

 He lives from Eternity past to Eternity future. And everything else that lives gets its life from Him.

The Compound Names

Now, the rest of the names I want us to consider are used in conjunction with this name Jehovah. They are compound names. You many wish to make a chain of these verses in your Bible with His name and it's meaning written in the margin.

 We'll consider them in Biblical order, except for one, that I'll save for last.

Jehovah-Jireh

The first one, Jehovah Jireh is found in Genesis 22:14. It literally means "The Lord Provides." When God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac his son on Mount Moriah, Abraham immediately set out to obey. Abraham understood his covenant relationship with El Shaddai. He asks no questions. He simply proceeds to obey.

 When Isaac asked "where is the sacrifice?" Abraham softly answered, "God will provide." His heart must have been breaking. And even though he totally trusted God, he must have felt some confusion and bewilderment.

 Then, just as he raised the knife, the angel intervened. Abraham is shown a ram caught in a nearby thicket. And he cries out, "We will call the name of this place Jehovah Jireh!"

 Can you catch a little bit of the incredible emotion of that moment?

 My God provides for me! And we must remember that we will never have a need that the Eternal God does not know about. And He has called Himself, Jehovah Jireh, The Eternal God our Provider!

 So when you have a need, why not call out to Him by His name, "Jehovah Jireh!" God, my Provider, I have a need!" We used to sing a little song that said, "Jehovah Jireh, my Provider, His grace is sufficient for me. My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in Glory. He gives His angels charge over me, Jehovah Jireh cares for me."

Jehovah-Rophe

The Second compound name we come upon is Jehovah Rophe. It is in Exodus 15:26. It means "The Lord who Heals" In Ex 15:26 God said, "If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

The word Rophe means to heal, restore, or cure. God doesn't just heal, God IS healing.  He is constantly healing us, and really, all His creation.

Sometimes He heals dramatically and  immediately. Sometimes He heals more slowly using doctors or medicine. In all cases, He heals us completely at the resurrection! But the healing process is a wonderful gift from our God, Jehovah Rophe.

So the next time you are physically, or emotionally, or otherwise sick, Why not call out to Jehovah Rophe? And begin to praise Him because He is God, your Healer.

Jehovah-Nissi

Then there is Jehovah Nissi. This is found in Exodus 17:15. It literally means "God, my Banner or God my Standard of Victory" In Exodus 17:15 Moses named an Altar he built after this name of God. ("And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi")

Here is the background. The Amalekites had refused to allow the Israelites to pass through their land, so they had to fight. Moses sent Joshua into the valley to fight the battle, while Moses stood on the mountain to hold high the rod of God. The rod was their "standard." In those days, and even now, a standard was used during a battle to give a sense of identity and a gathering point.  It could be a flag, or a banner, or it could be only a high pole. But all the soldiers could see it. It represented victory.

So the next time that you are in heated spiritual warfare, remember that God is Jehovah Nissi. He is The Eternal God, your banner of Victory. We can praise Him with words like, "Thank you Jehovah Nissi, that You always give the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Jehovah-M'Kaddesh

Next, in Lev 20:8 we find the compound name, Jehovah M'Kaddesh.

" And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you"

Literally, "I am the Lord Who makes you Holy." Or "Who sets you apart for My Use."

The second part of this name, "M'kaddesh" was used to refer to the various parts of the temple which were sanctified, or set apart, for the worship of God.

Now in N.T. times, where is the temple of God?

WE are God's temples. And He is to us Jehovah-McKaddesh. He himself makes us holy--separates us apart for His use. He Sanctifies us.

So, the next time you feel unworthy to be used by God or unfit for service, remember it is not you who makes yourself worthy or fit to serve, it is Jehovah-M'kaddesh! God, our Holiness!

Jehovah-Shalom

The next name is found in Judges 6:24.

Here is the context. Israel was being oppressed by the Midianites. An Angel was sent from God to Gideon to remind him that the Lord was with him and that God was going to use Gideon to deliver Israel. At first, Gideon did not recognize the angel for who he was. And at first he argued with him.

When he finally did realize that he had been in the presence of an angel of God, he was terrified. He thought he might die. You and I would undoubtedly react the same way.

But God spoke peace to him in verse 23. And in verse 24 Gideon built an altar to the Lord and named it after this name of God, "Jehovah Shalom." "God is Peace!"

22  And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.

23  And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.

24  Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom:

The Nation was at war with the Midianites--but Gideon learned that not only does God give peace, But God IS our peace.

And the next time you are in a time of stress, turmoil, fear, anxiety, tension, or worry, try praising Jehovah Shalom, God your Peace.

Now if you are making a chain as we go, I'm skipping over one in Psalms now. I'll come back to it in a minute. So if you want to keep the chain in Biblical order, you may want to wait to write the rest in your Bible until later.

Jehovah-Tsidkenu

So let's go to Jeremiah 23.

The background here is tragic. Josiah had instituted reforms and revival had come, but wickedness was still deeply entrenched. And spiritual leaders had lied to the people and scattered the flocks of God. But in verses 5 and 6 God promises a better day is coming. This is a prophecy of the coming Messiah.

5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

6  In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

In the Hebrew, The Lord Our Righteousness is Jehovah-Tsidkenu.

God is totally righteous. He demands righteousness in us. And He tells us in this verse that what He requires of us, He becomes to  us.

In 1 Cor 1:30, we are told that Christ Jesus has become to us righteousness. And in Him we  are declared to be righteous.

In 2 Cor 5:21 we read "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

Now this is so important. Satan wins many victories when we do not realize that our God is Jehovah Tsidkenu.

When you have failed, when you have stumbled, when you have sinned against God, Satan will try to tell you that you are so unworthy and so weak and so guilty that you are inadequate and insufficient to do anything worthwhile in God's service.

We must learn to repent and confess our sin to God, and then to gladly accept that He is Jehovah Tsidkenu, God our Righteousness. He has declared us to be righteous. It is His gift.  And we can go on boldly--not in our own righteousness, but in HIS.

Jehovah-Shammah

Next go to Ezek 48:35. It is the last verse in the book of Ezekiel.

The last part of the vision of Ezekiel was of a new city, with a new temple. It was to be glorious. And the last words of this verse tell us the name of the city. In Hebrew is is named a compound name of God--Jehovah-Shammah. He is "The Eternal God who is There."

Now where is God today? He is HERE! He is the God who is with us.

The fire that left the temple in Ezekiel's day returned on the day of Pentecost and rested on the heads of men and women who had just become temples of God Almighty.

And now, God is here. He has promised never to leave us. So the next time you feel all alone, remember who He is and praise Him as Jehovah-Shammah--The Eternal God who is here.

Jehovah-Rohi

Now let's go back to the one I skipped. It's in the 23^rd Psalm. And you'll understand why I saved it for last.

The 23^rd Psalm is an amazing Psalm. It is the favorite of many many people. And it begins with the words, "The Lord is my Shepherd." In the Hebrew it is "Jehovah-Rohi." The Eternal God is my shepherd.

He is our guide. He leads us. He feeds us. He comforts us. No other name of God carries the tenderness and intimacy of Jehovah-Rohi.

When we need to be reminded that the Lord is taking care of us, we can come to the 23^rd Psalm and praise Him as Jehovah-Rohi.

But look closely at this brief Psalm. Let's read it together.

The LORD is my shepherd [He is Jehovah-Rohi--our shepherd]; I shall not want.

[What name does that remind you of? Jehovah-Jireh--our provider!]

2  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters [Jehovah-Shalom-our peace!].

3  He restoreth my soul [Jehovah-Rophe--our Healer!]: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake [Jehovah-Tsidkenu--our righteousness!].

4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me [Jehovah-Shammah--He is There!]; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies [Jehovah-Nissi--our Standard of Victory]: thou anointest my head with oil [Jehovah-M'Kaddesh--our Holiness; our sanctification]; my cup runneth over.

6        Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

What a wonderful, amazing God we serve! He has given us all these names, to remind us of His character--of Who He is.

So I'd like to encourage and challenge you to learn these names of God. And use them when you are alone with Him as an expression of praise to Him. You will find that using these awesome names of God will draw you into closer and more intimate fellowship with our wonderful, all-loving, all-wise, all-powerful heavenly Father.

A heart's cry met

Let me back up just bit before I get to the reason I feel God answered the cry of my heart.  Since this missed miscarriage I've had surprisingly little grief overcome me with body racking sobs.  Matter of factly, it only occurred twice, the same day I found out, and lasted only a couple seconds each time as I drove home from the Dr's office.  I've been attributing this to God's amazing grace in my life to handle it, but have been having a nagging thought that it's my defense mechanisms at work rather than God pouring out so much grace to me.

The Wednesday before my D&C (that Friday) I went to church and had some prayer ministry.  As I was walking up for prayer, I felt totally fine and at peace.  I started speaking to the women and was telling them about my D&C that coming Friday and tears started running down my face.  I was completely taken aback at the tears and wondering where in the heck they were coming from, but just assumed that God was doing something and I was totally okay with it.  As I was driving home, I started thinking more that although I am sure that God's giving me grace to handle this hurt, I was pretty sure that I must be locking some of this pain up, but just wasn't sure how to access it or where I was hiding it.  One of the main reasons I've come to this conclusion is b/c my headaches have started back in. 

About 3 yrs ago I went to the Dr because of these horrible piercing headaches I was having.  The end result was that they were tension headaches and I needed to relax.  Hahaha, right?  I had 3 boys, aged 4 and under, and I was supposed to relax?  Well, God has done an amazing thing in my life by affording me peace in the chaos that surrounds me.  My headaches had completely left me until about a month ago.  I'm still calm, at least for me, and couldn't figure out what could possibly be causing them until someone brought up that maybe it was the stress from the loss of Elijah.  I tossed the idea around in my head a bit, not really too sure of it because of the fact that I wasn't feeling stressed about it, but didn't shut the idea down.

Fast forward one week to last night, I was at the Wednesday prayer service and kept feeling like God was wanting me to go over to this woman and ask her to pray for and impart something to me.  I kept listening and asking God what she was supposed to impart, but heard nothing.  So finally after about 5-10 min, I went over to her and asked her to pray for me.  We prayed together and asked for the Spirit of God to come illuminate what He was wanting us to pray for, but again heard nothing.  She said well let me just tell you about my testimony today and we'll go from there.  After listening to her and just talking about different things associate with it, I told her how I lost my lil' one and was thinking that maybe these headaches I was having was due to me having the emotions related to it, locked away some where in the recesses of my mind.

Right after I finished telling her about that, David (a man who's shown himself to hear from God reliably and be very trustworthy to the calling on his life) came up to the front of the church and said that He felt God was placing it on his heart that He was wanting to heal the hearts of those who've undergone some kind of pain and to raise their hands.  I didn't raise my hand b/c for whatever reason, I didn't think I needed my heart healed so I just continued my conversation with this woman.  About 5 min. later David came back up and said that he strongly felt the Lord direct him into what the church body there was to be praying for, and that was pregnancies.  He said that the Lord wants to heal wombs that have lost babies, and have us pray for protection over the wombs that will carry life, and then told us what to pray.  He asked for those to raise their hands that were trying or would be trying to have a baby, that time I raised my hand.

I'm still figuring out where I stand with the loss of Elijah, but am so grateful that God persistently went after the pain in my heart.  Especially since I was so slow to realize that it was still a wound, and wasn't jumping at the opportunity for healing prayer the first time.  I love how God shows Himself to me, and can only pray that He does so in greater and greater measure until I'm in His presence so thick that I feel consumed by His love for me.  My heart's cry was met last night, and I have no doubt at all that He will continue to meet me where I need, even when I'm not aware that I need it.

Oh, and later on God finally answered what I was getting imparted to me as I had asked that woman to pray for me.  He said "Truth.".  I walked by her and let her know that He had answered, what He said, and that she had done that.  She laughed and said "Oh good!  I was wondering whether I had done what He intended."  Our journey's with God/Jesus/Holy Spirit are so unique, personal, and filled with valley's and mountain's, but one thing is for certain... we are all being called to the same place and that is to be in Him in all things.