Feb 14, 2017

Eternal Infinite Sovereign

Abiding in Christ.

I have been noticing that abiding is much harder than I first imagined.  Keeping my eyes on God 24/7 feels impossible.  How can I give up everything for Him?  And...why would I choose to do that?

Then I realized something.

If we truly knew Who God is, we wouldn't think twice about placing our lives completely into His hands.  The problem is...we don't know Who He is.  It's beyond our imagination.  Our brains are complex and amazing, but this is bigger than we can comprehend.

"In the beginning, GOD..."

Four words.  But those four words changed the universe.  God has been here from the beginning.  Actually, He was here before the beginning.  He is eternal.  Infinite.  Sovereign.

We can't fit Him into a box, try as we might.  But if we want to truly abide in Christ, shouldn't we at least know who He is?  Shouldn't we be familiar with His personality, His characteristics, His Names?

A name is important.  By it we can remember people, animals, things.  But a name also holds deeper meaning that (quite often!) describes what that person is like.

We need to know God's Names if we want to get to know Him.  Thus, I sat down and wrote a list of every Name of God that I could think of.  I referenced my Bible for help.  I used my index.  I looked at charts.  And I know that I still missed plenty!  Even so, perhaps this list of some of the Names of God will allow you to realize a little better Who He is.  Perhaps you will get a better picture of how awesome, how loving, and how wise He is.  I encourage you to make your own list...and pray through it.  How do these aspects of God apply to me?  Take them, one at a time, and soak in the goodness of God.  He truly is beyond our imagination.

I know this is long...God has many Names!  (and now that I found an online list, I can see dozens more that I didn't find in my first search!)  But if you truly want to know Who He is, take some time and thank Him.  Thank Him for being our Savior, our Redeemer, our Father, our Teacher...our Friend...



God.  The Supreme Bring; Jehovah; the eternal and infinite Spirit; the Creator, and the Sovereign of the universe. (Noah Webster dictionary) 

Psalm 90:2, "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God."

Isaiah 26:4, "Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength."

Yahweh - Jehovah.  "The existing One"  (it is said that many religious Jews would not even pronounce this Name because it was so holy.  So powerful.  They esteemed it that highly.  Wow...what an example.  And we have the audacity to utter His name in vain?!)

I AM.  Exodus 3:14-15,  "And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"  Moreover God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'The Lord 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 this is My memorial to all generations.'""

Shield, Horn of my Salvation, Stronghold, Refuge, and Savior. 2 Samuel 22:3, "The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my Savior, You save me from violence."

Maker. Job 4:17,  "Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?"

Redeemer. Job 19:25, "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth;"

Lord Most High. Psalm 7:17,  "I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High."

Father to the Fatherless and the Defender of WidowsPsalm 68:5,  "A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation."

Holy One of Israel. Psalm 71:22,  "Also with the lute I will praise You — And Your faithfulness, O my God! To You I will sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel."

Judge. Psalm 75:7, "But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another."

Teacher.  Isaiah 2:3,  "Many people shall come and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace.  Isaiah 9:6, "...And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Creator.  Isaiah 40:28,  "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable."

The Mighty One of Jacob. Isaiah 60:16,  "...You shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."

Potter. Isaiah 64:8,  "But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; and all we are the work of Your hand."

Immanuel.  Matthew 1:23,  "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a Son, and they shall call His name 'Immanuel,' which is translated, 'God with us.'"

The Christ and the Son of God.  Matthew 16:16, "Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'"

Son of Man.  Matthew 18:11,  "For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost."

Servant.  Matthew 20:28, "Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Jesus, the King of the Jews. Matthew 27:11,  "Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, 'Are You the King of the Jews?' Jesus said to him, 'It is as you say.'"

Prophet of the Highest and the Dayspring. Luke 1:76-78, "'And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;"

Word of God. John 1:1-2, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God."

Messiah. John 1:41,  "He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, 'We have found the Messiah' (which is translated, the Christ)."

Bread of Life.  John 6:35, "And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."

Light of the World.  John 8:12, "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.'"

Door of the Sheep.   John 10:7, "Then Jesus said to them again, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.'"

Good Shepherd.   John 10:11, "'I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.'"

Resurrection and the Life.  John 11:25, "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.'"

The Way, the Truth, and the Life. John 14:6,  "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'"

Our Helper and the Holy Spirit. 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 things that I said to you."

Vine. John 15:5,  "'I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.'"

Friend.  John 15:14, "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you."

Our Father.  Ephesians 4:6, "...one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

Author of Eternal Salvation.  Hebrews 5:9, "And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him."

Love.  1 John 4:8, "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love."

Lord of lords and King of kings.  Revelation 17:14, "...for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful."

Faithful and True. Revelation 19:11, "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True..."

Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. Revelation 22:13  "'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last."'

The Root and the Offspring of David and the Bright and Morning Star. Revelation 22:16,  "'I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.'"

Can you share other Names of God that I failed to put on this list?  Which Name stands out the most to you in this time of life?  Why do you think God has so many names?  Comment below!

16 comments:

  1. What a great theme...to talk about the names of God!! This reminds me of a song I heard a long time ago that really summarizes who God is. He is so much more than the world realizes!!! Great post!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWK4wbBCCPA

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    1. I have never heard that song before, but it summarizes God's role throughout the Bible quite nicely! It is interesting how although God never changes, we see Him differently depending on our struggles and situations. (for instance, in the Gospels God is our Savior, but in Revelation He is our bride and the First and Last, Almighty God!) How true - He is much more than the world realizes! Thank you for sharing. =)

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  2. I love this! :) There are so many amazing names of God that we have yet to learn about. I did a post a while ago with a name of God for every letter from A-Z. It was quite interesting to discover that there were many names of God that I had never heard of before! There's some beautiful names on your list- I especially love "Faithful and True" right now.
    Thanks for sharing! <3

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    1. Oh yes, Emily! While I was writing this list, I read Revelation 19:12, "His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself." Not only does Christ have so many amazing Names listed in the Bible, but in that verse it implies that He has a Name that is so holy that we cannot even know what it is! No name can describe Him because He is beyond all things. Isn't that amazing? That is the God WE serve, and He has adopted us as His children! ♥ ♥

      Faithful and True...that reminder is so encouraging. That aspect of God has been on my heart a lot recently, especially as I think on a verse from Philippians that says He will carry me on until the day of completion. ♥ We never have to give up because He is Faithful.

      Thank you for sharing, Emily. You are a blessing to me!

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  3. WOWW that's a lot of names! I never really thought about there being that many names of God...pretty amazing!
    I think God gives us many different names for Himself because each name reveals a little bit more about His character. If all we had was 'God', we would know that He was ruler and sovereign, but not much else. If all we had was 'Father', then we would know He is caring and protective, but we wouldn't be able to know much else. But with all these names, we know that He is faithful, He is loving, He is a friend, He is a stronghold, He is our Savior...
    Which names stand out most to me right now? Gee...*scrolls back through the names*...I would have to say friend. I love that I can have that relationship with God. Of course there must be reverence and worship, but I also like that I can just hang out with Him in a casual way, too, telling Him everything that I want...and He won't ever mind! =)
    Great post, my friend!
    -Ariel

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    1. I completely agree, Ariel. Each Name shows a different aspect of Who God is. Reading (and praying) through the names of God helped me get a better grasp of His awesomeness. But I think that this is not just a one-time thing...shouldn't we mediate and think on Him all the time? Maybe writing a list and reading over it again and again would be helpful for us to keep our focus on the eternal.

      Mmhmm! I love that God is our Friend. When I'm alone and no earthly friend is there for me, He is always faithful and loving. How amazing... ♥ And to know that He will never criticize us for our silly failures or become offended when we fail is...well, it's just amazing! Not only is He our friend, but He is always forgiving, understanding, and loving. ♥

      You have some lovely thoughts, Ariel. Thanks for sharing your input and worshiping God. ♥

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    2. Yes, we definitely should meditate on how wonderful He is, all the time! The only problem with that is ALL. THE. DISTRACTIONS. (school is definitely one of those for me *sigh*) But that shouldn't stop me! School isn't gonna matter in light of eternity.
      You're most welcome!
      This doesn't really have to deal with the topic of this post, but I just couldn't wait to tell you...you know how you asked what stood out to me this Christmas on one of your older posts? Well, that basically was one of the best questions you could ask--except I couldn't answer it right then. BUT NOW I CAN. *cue drumroll* WE ARE HAVING A BABY!!!!! We found out Christmas morning, and it was the very best Christmas gift we could ever get!! The baby is due in August, and Mom is currently thirteen weeks along! (I think it's probably going to be a girl, but I want it to be a boy... ;))
      -Ariel

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    3. Exactly! School is a huge distraction for me as well...and it's hard because you can't not do school. It's a necessary part of life, but we have to put it in its proper place, keeping God on the throne of our life. School won't matter in the light of eternity but how diligently we do it and use our time will!

      ARIEL!!!!!!!!! THAT MAKES ME SO HAPPY!!!! You're going to have a BABY! *collapses in hugs* Awww! Thank you so much for telling me...that is the BEST Christmas present you could have gotten! I'm smiling so big over here. ♥ Keep me updated...I want to know the gender/name/everything else. ;) I'm so happy!!! Ariel is going to have a baby!!! Yipee! =) *more hugs* ♥♥♥

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  4. I love this list! And you gave me a wonderful idea. To start thinking on the names of God. I'm printing out a list and I think it will be a wonderful thing. Thank you for this post!!

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    1. Hannah, that is such an amazing idea...printing out a list of the Names of God and praying/thinking through them would be a great way to remain focused on Him. I also am trying to be more diligent in reading the Bible that way by asking questions. What does this passage tell me about God and His characteristics? I only started today, but it helps you dig a little bit deeper when you read the Word. =) Thank you for your encouragement! Studying the Names of God is so eye opening and definitely keeps your mind focused on eternal priorities. ♥

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  5. The Founder and Perfecter of our Faith - Hebrews 12:1-2 <<3

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    1. Jordy, thank you for reminding me...that Name is so beautiful; I can't believe I forgot it. ♥ That reminder has been so encouraging to me recently. Jesus not only gave us Salvation as a free gift, but He will carry it on until the day of completion! We don't have to wonder if we'll ever become like Jesus...He is forming us into His image. ♥ How beautiful.

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    2. Yes! My dad likes to call Him a Promise-Keeper. He continues what He starts!

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    3. Promise Keeper...what a beautiful Name. ♥

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  6. Wow, this sentence: If we truly knew Who God is, we wouldn't think twice about placing our lives completely into His hands. That's so true. If only I stopped to think about that more often, instead of rushing in with my own plans and ideas. (And I really like your logic too - I'm right into reasoning and logic, haha. :)

    It's amazing just thinking of God in the light of all those names and descriptions you've listed, but then to think that there's more?! And that we will never fully be able to comprehend God, and we'll be learning about Him for all eternity? It makes it so humbling then to think that He cares infinitely about each of us..

    Thanks for sharing your findings, Hosanna! I don't think I can pick a favourite out of the list! :) Also, regarding the question you asked me on your previous post, yes I definitely would recommend The True Vine. It's one of the best spiritual books (other than the Bible, of course) I've read. My sister recently read through it, and the first thing she did after finishing was start reading through it again! :)

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    1. That is so true, Jessica! I don't know about you, but I often fail to see things with an eternal mindset. If we judged life and decisions based off of the eternal instead of the here and now, how our lives would change! Our worries, concerns, and doubts would vanish...because we have no reason to worry when God is our Father! And lol...I don't know much about logic, but I'm glad that my reasoning was okay. ;)

      Have you ever come to the place where you thought you knew everything about the Bible? You knew every story, every character, every lesson... But then you see something else, something deeper that you never saw before. It's amazing how no matter how often or how deep we read the Word, we will still learn from it and grow closer to God! Because it is living and powerful...it never grows old. ♥ And God is the same way! We can never "master" or "completely understand" Him. Seeing God in that light is definitely humbling.

      Thank you for the recommendation, Jessica! The True Vine sounds like a life-changing book. I am going to be on the look out for a copy of my own soon. =)

      Thank you for your encouragement, my friend. ♥ Your words here and on your blog have been so impacting for me.

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