365 Days of the Great Names of God, Day 160: His Name Is Life

His Name Is Life

"But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name." (John 20:31 NLT)

I want to know God's names. But I don't want to just know them.

I want to study God's names. But I don't want to just study them.

I want to actually live God's names. I want God's names—and what they teach me about Him—to show up in the middle of my daily life and make a difference other people can see. Otherwise, how will I make His name known?

As with most good things in the life of faith (and by "most," I mean "all"), this process starts with prayer. You've probably heard people talk about praying God's names; here's what I'm working on toward that end.

Name His names. "God, You are I AM. God, You are Redeemer. God, You are the Joy-Giver."

Ask in His name. So often, I tell people I am praying for them or will pray for them and then just stop at, "God, please help so-and-so." And to be clear: there is a time and place for this prayer, because it is not as if God is depending on us to give Him details on what kind of help is needed. But how much more might our prayers be powered up by the name of the One whose help we're seeking? So, "Healer, please heal..." or "Spirit of Wisdom, please inform..." or "Avenger, please right this wrong..." or "Guide, please show the way..."

Magnify His name. When we magnify something, we move in for a closer look. We enlarge it. When we magnify God's names in prayer, we get closer to who He is and make that truth bigger in our minds and hearts. "God, You are Love: You are patient, kind, long-suffering, not easily angered. God, You are the Sun: You sustain life, You illuminate, You make things grow."

Exemplify His name. To exemplify something is to represent it well, to be a model example of it. This is a high calling that only Jesus did perfectly, but here, as everywhere, Jesus is our goal, our mark to aim for. And so we ask, "God help me exemplify Your name. Help me exemplify you as Comforter by comforting someone today. Help me exemplify you as Helper by helping someone today. Help me exemplify you as Friend by being a friend to someone today."

Oh God, Your name is life. Help me to make it known.

365 Days of the Great Names of God, Day 159: His Name Is Good

His Name Is Good

"For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And I will hope in your name, for your name is good." (Psalm 52:9 NIV)

I once read this quote in an article about getting to a place of being okay with not being okay: "Most people aren’t comfortable with a perceived problem until they feel like it’s close to being solved" (Akilah S. Richards).

I know that quote may sound harsh. And of course, "most people" can be a dangerous generalization. You may well be thinking, "That's not how I am!" But I do think there's a core of truth to this. I know I've asked friends and people at church and family members how they're doing and listened to their struggles and wanted them to get to the "but"—as in, "Well, I'm having a hard time with this, but I'm doing better" or, "I'm really battling this, but I think I'm about to turn the corner...."

Of course God does not want us to stay mired in despair, desolation, grief, and woe. He wants to set our feet "in a spacious place" (Psalm 31:8).

Yet the reality of life in a world in between what was and what will be is that there are problems that don't get solved this side of eternity. There are hurts that don't get healed until we are face-to-face with the Healer. There are losses we keep feeling every day because of the enormity of our love for what or whom we've lost.

Missionary Amy Carmichael said, "My feelings do not affect God's facts." I would also submit that my problems do not affect God's position. He is where He has always been: reigning on high on His throne and also dwelling in the hearts of His people and in the thick of every high and low of their lives. I believe He calls us to be His presence in those thick places, too.

Maybe when we know someone who's in something that is not changing, not getting better, not shifting—maybe we just pray like crazy and remain in that place with them, held there by the belief that no matter what, God's name is good. If it is not good in bad places, then it is conditional and shifting...and we know it is neither of those things.

God's name is good even when the night doesn't turn into morning.
It is good even when the sickness isn't healed.
It is good even when the broken relationship doesn't get mended.

In all this, God is still who His name says He is. He is still the Morning Star and the Healer and the Mender. 

Oh God, Your name is good. Help me make it known.

365 Days of the Great Names of God, Day 158: Glory To His Name

Glory To His Name

"Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness." (Psalm 115:1 NIV)

What thing have you lost lately?

A job? A hope? A comfort? A dream? A plan? A direction?

I'm guessing you didn't have to think very hard or very long to come up with an answer to that question. 

But maybe you're wondering what the question has to do with God's name being glorified?

The connection between loss and God's glory is a line God has been trying to draw in my mind for a couple years now.

If I lose something I want, something I long for, something I value, something I hold dear, I feel lessened somehow. But less of me means more of God; less of my "glory"—my "light," who I am—means more of His.

Less is never God's ultimate ending point. He is the God of more. Often, though, He gets us to more by way of less. In order for my hands to be open to receive that "more," I must first empty them of whatever lesser thing I might be holding onto.

"When we pray that our lives may glorify Him, we are asking that the self may be put down. We must be prepared to lose ourselves, whatever that may entail, that God may be all in all. Losing an argument for his sake, losing something we held dear, losing 'face,' reputation, a position of power or superiority, losing a claim on someone or on his affection or respect—can these be a part of the answer to our prayer to glorify God in our lives? Assuredly they can, for assuredly the Son Himself laid aside all such assets when he came to do the will of the Father. What a privileged position we are called to share.

"Lord, lift up our eyes, away from ourselves and our small losses, up to that glory yet to be reveal. Teach us that it is only out of weakness that we are made strong, only as we suffer that we may reign, only as we lose that we may gain" (Elisabeth Elliot, "A Lamp for My Feet).

Weakening to strengthening.

Suffering to reigning.

Losing to gaining.

To paraphrase and personalize Psalm 115:1: "Not to me, O Lord, not to me, but to Your name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness."

Glory to Your Name, O God. Help me to make it known.