Philippians 2:9-11
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
“What’s in a name?” is a line from one of William Shakespeare’s most popular plays, telling the story of a boy and girl, Romeo and Juliet, who meet and fall in love. Their desire to be together is doomed from the start, all because of their names and the feud that exists between their two families. The fact that Juliet declares her love for Romeo despite his name, and Romeo declares his love for her by rejecting his family name, is not enough to prevent the lovers’ tragic ending, nor the profound loss suffered by the families they left behind, all because of their names.
Our first and last names can often give clues to our identity. My husband’s great-grandfather came to America in the late 19th century from Odesa, Ukraine. In order to avoid discrimination for his Jewish faith, he changed his last name from Silberman to Taylor, which was his professional trade and later, he and his wife joined the Methodist church to further assimilate into the local community. Many change their name for other reasons or to bestow a particular name on a newborn baby that identifies them as a member of their family.
The names of God, as revealed in the Bible, give clues to His identity as well, and His character, and the glory of His ways in dealing with man and nature. If it were up to us to come up with names for God, would they be based on our biblical understanding or on how God fits into our own desires, ideas, expectations, or our own identity? When it comes to naming God, only the Lord Himself reveals His name to His people.
The Names of God from the Old Testament were shared in yesterday’s devotion; today our focus is on the New Testament. May I encourage you, once again, to look up the scriptures and pray the Name!
• ANCHOR: We have an anchor to which we are tethered, providing protection and steadiness in any storm.
Hebrew 6:19
• LIGHT: He is the light and in Him there is no darkness so we have no need to be afraid.
John 1:6-9
• ADVOCATE: We can trust that He will defend us, taking up our cause. All truth will be revealed in His time.
1 John 2:1
• BREAD of LIFE: He will sustain all that our soul longs for and His Word satisfies our hunger and thirst.
John 6:32
• CORNERSTONE: His firm, unshakeable, immovable foundation, give us security as we dwell with Him.
Ephesians 2:20-22
• DAYSPRING: He refreshes and revives us with His Living Water.
Luke 1:78
• DOOR: He is the door to eternity and we, His sheep, are welcome to enter in.
John 10:7
• FORERUNNER: He was out ahead of us, as our priest, and prepared a way for us to be with Him.
Hebrews 6:20
• VINE: He is the vine and we as branches can only produce much fruit if we stay totally dependent on Him.
John 15:5
• TEACHER: He is the One, through the Holy Spirit, who teaches us Truth, not the world.
Luke 12:12
• GARDENER: He tends the garden of our hearts, making sure we have all the nutrients we need to bloom in proper time.
John 15: 1-2
• LORD: He is above all and in all. He deserves our highest praise and honor and all glory should be given to Him.
Luke 12:31
Lord God, thank You for revealing Yourself through the names that identify for us Your character and glory. Open our spiritual eyes to see You in light of these names from both the Old and New Testaments. May we pray the Name with a new understanding of Your greatness and provision for us, and we will give all glory to You. It is in the powerful name of Jesus that we pray. Amen.
~ painting by Carol VonBurnum
