God of Times and Seasons
"May the name of God be praised forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him." (Daniel 2:20-22 CSB)
Are there really 365 names of God?
Several sweet friends have asked this question, and the honest answer is that before I started this series, I did not sit down and make up a list of a year's worth of names. I felt God clearly leading me to set off on this journey, and I had a cloud of names in my head to start with. I also knew others had written 365-name songs and books, and while I didn't look at those resources because I didn't want to inadvertently copy them, I reasoned that what had been done before could be done again.
Early on, I did type up a numbered list with 365 blank lines. As I set about filling these in, I quickly realized that some creativity was going to be necessary in studying and representing God's names for a full year. If you've been following along, you already know we're praising and praying not only God's "official" names but also His roles, titles, attributes, and characteristics. But I decided that in order to cover a full year well, we'd need to take some "side trips" off our main path.
These are not detours, dear ones. They are not routes we are taking simply because the main road is closed. I fervently pray these ancillary avenues will take us deeper into the heart of who God is...which was the sacred goal of journeying through His names in the first place.
Today, we set off on a side road guided by the God of Times and Seasons. God is beyond time, but He is also present in our times. He is over every season He appoints for every purpose under His heaven, but He is also with us in each individual season.
In the next few weeks to come, I long for us to examine God in His role both over and in specific times and seasons of our lives. For today, I want to leave you with this: whatever time or season you're in right this minute, God is at work, He is on time, and He is on purpose.
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I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to tell me what you really think. Years ago, I explained to my then-two-year-old that my appointment with a counselor was "sort of like going to a doctor who will help me be a better mommy." Without blinking, she replied, "You'd better go every day." All of which is just to say I've spent some time in the school of brutal honesty!