Therefore my people will know my name; …. (Isaiah 52:6 NIV)
I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. (Psalm 69:30 NIV)
When we hear the name of a famous golfer, we immediately think of a word that describes the golfer. The name “Arnie” conjures up words like “legend,” “king,” or “army.” The same is true with “Jack” (“Golden Bear,” “Majors,” or “intensity and focus”) or “Seve”(“El Matador,” “fiery competitor,” or “creative shot making”).
When someone says the name “God” to us, the resulting words that come to mind will likely be varied and may depend on our current situation. The adjectives, adverbs, or nouns will likely be specific if we are in direct contact with him. If we aren’t as close to him, he may seem more distant and somewhat indeterminate or amorphous.
One of my earliest devotionals touched briefly on the “Names of God.” I posited that by knowing and using God’s many names, we better understand the many facets of his multidimensional character. Depending on our life’s particular situation and prayer request, we might call on Jehovah Rapha (The Lord Who Heals) or Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide).
By knowing his many names, we get to know him more fully and experience his power more deeply. As Tony Evans described: “God has a name to meet the needs of any situation we may face in life. Whatever our present situation, God has a name that fits it.” Approaching God this way will bring us closer to him, and he won’t seem quite as vague and indeterminate.
More recently, I’ve experienced an additional benefit that accompanies knowing God’s many names besides a deeper understanding of him. We should be reminded each time we use one of his names that we ought to express our GRATITUDE for all he has done, is doing, and will do for us.
Not only is expressing gratitude the right thing to do, but it also has significant benefits for our overall well-being. An August 2021 article in HealthBeat, a Harvard Medical School publication, discussed several scientists’ and psychologists’ studies regarding the benefits of an attitude of gratitude. They concluded that “gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness.
Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their physical and mental health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships”.
Gratitude ought to be acknowledged in our prayer life when we ask God for healing, protection, provision of basic needs, or whatever the situation requires. We have a tremendous opportunity to thank him and express our gratitude for whatever particular characteristic or trait he has revealed to us or that we are asking him to show us.
Over the coming months, I’ll embark on a journey to explore the names of God and what they mean to us, as well as remind us of how we can express our gratitude to him for what he has revealed to us about himself. I hope that you can join me on that journey!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we are forever grateful for your revelation of yourself to us in Scripture and through your many names so that we might better understand and appreciate you.