Saturday, January 22, 2011

Life Lessons from Elohim

For the next few weeks some ladies and I are going through a great study by Kay Arthur called Lord, I Want to Know You.  The study is a deeper look at the names of God in the Bible. We are only in the first week and a half (a few chapters) of the book, and I already love it.  I am very excited about what the Lord will be teaching us as we continue.

There is so much to say already of what I have learned, but I will share just a small sampling that has been rolling around for a few days in my head.  I always get excited when God teaches me something so practical, so real, and so necessary for my daily life that I have to share it with others because I believe it is important for others to hear, as well. 

The first name of God from the Bible that we have looked at is the name Elohim.  In short, this means Almighty God.  This is the name for God as Creator.  "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1).  This is not just important because He created everything I see and everything I don't, but also because He created you and me.  "For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb.  I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well" (Psalm 139:13,14).

Since God created me, can I not trust Him with my life?  Can I not trust Him with every little detail of my life?  He so intricately put me together 30 years ago and has used my body to do this with two others, so far!  Think of the process!  Think of the masterpiece that each human being is.  Even the ones that others may not see as a masterpiece are a masterpiece to Him!

Because I can trust Him, I have confidence that He is who He says He is.  I can boast in His name.  "Some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God.  They have bowed down and fallen, but we have risen and stood upright" (Psalm 20:7,8).  In Hebrew, to boast means to have confidence in.  What happens when I have confidence in Him?  Victory (risen and stood upright)!  When I choose to not be confident in Him, there is defeat (bowed down and fallen).

I got a glimpse of this through my older child this week.  She has all of a sudden been getting scared of the dark, and occassionally scared of anything else her imagination can dream up at any given time.  I was in another room, and suddenly she got scared.  She started running to me while cowering in fear and calling out.  During the few seconds this went on, I was telling her that she was okay, that there was nothing to be afraid of, and that I was right there.  She couldn't hear me, though.  She was too busy calling out and cowering while running to me.

This made me think of the verse from Psalm 20.  When I am bowed down and fallen, I picture myself cowering in fear.  For me that is what grips me when I am not trusting the Lord.  When I am down there cowering, I cannot hear the Lord's gentle voice (more gentle than my mommy voice) telling me that He is right there, that there is nothing to be afraid of, and that I am okay.  It is only when I am risen and standing upright that I can fix my eyes on Him, the author and perfecter of my faith (Hebrews 12:2), that I can hear His voice and walk in confidence.  Then I can boast in His name.

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe" (Proverbs 18:10).

3 comments:

Brandy Vencel said...

I love this, Kristen! We are reading John Piper's Future Grace together with some of our friends, and this reminds me of our next chapter, which is on anxiety. I haven't read the chapter yet, but word on the street is that Piper says the remedy to anxiety is...faith. In replacing our wrong thinking about God with right thinking about God, we can triumph over anxiety. I was thinking that I might need a whole boatload of verses to really accomplish that right thinking, and here you are summing it all up in a single name of God. :)

Kimbrah said...

Wow. This is something I have really been struggling with lately. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. :)

Kristen @ Dem Golden Apples said...

Awesome, ladies. I am thankful that the Lord is using this to bless others. He is so good!