Years ago, friends of my parents decided to name their second son after a family member: Glenn Allen. But as the little guy began to demonstrate his extrovert personality (with humor and lots of energy!), they chose to legally have his name changed. Glenn just didn’t fit the bouncy, talkative toddler he had become.
Glenn Allen became Peter Glenn. But then someone in the family started calling him Breezy, for the way he merrily careened through life. And that’s the name that stuck.
Just as Breezy’s parents desired a personality-defining name, Old Testament patriarchs called God by new names as his personality, as well as his power, were revealed to them.
For example, Abraham was the first to call God, Jehovah-jireh (the Lord Will Provide), when God produced the ram to take the place of Isaac on the altar (Genesis 22).
Hagar, a servant girl in Abraham’s household, was the first to call God, El Roi (the God Who Sees), when she fled to the desert (Genesis 16).
Other names given by Old Testament personalities include:
- Jehovah Nissi (the Lord Is My Banner), proclaimed by Moses after the defeat of the wicked Amalekites (Exodus 17).
- Jehovah Shalom (The Lord Is Peace), declared by Gideon as God prepared him to defeat Israel’s enemy, the Midianites (Judges 6).
- Jehovah Raah (The Lord my Shepherd), given by David in Psalm 23.
I wonder, dare we create new names for God—names that indicate those moments when our understanding of him was enriched? For example:
- El Pele (The God Who Surprises)
Last summer, shortly after moving into our new house, we headed out to purchase tools and supplies. Our neighbor happened to be in her yard, and we stopped to introduce ourselves. In the conversation Steve mentioned an electrical problem we were experiencing that required a trip to Home Depot.
“Well, be sure to ask for Bill*,” she said. “That’s my husband and he just happens to work in the electrical department there.”
Sure enough, Bill was able to help us purchase what we needed. He even stopped by when his shift ended to work on our circuit breakers.
- El Naphash (The God of Catharsis)
How often has God sent encouragement, exactly when needed, or provided respite and refreshment during a stressful time?
Years ago one Sunday morning, I sat in church with Kleenex pressed to my cheeks. The tears would not stop. In two weeks we would be sitting in a new church, in a new community, where my pastor-husband had been assigned by our denomination. Soon our five years with this congregation on the Florida Gulf Coast would only be memories. It seemed much too soon to say good-bye.
After church, Garry and Cindy approached us.
“Listen,” Garry explained. “I just won a weekend getaway at one of the hotels out on the beach, and we want you two to have it.”
After a bit of “Oh-no-we-couldn’t-possibly” and “Yes, we insist,” Steve and I consented. I worried that the packing and long to-do list wouldn’t be completed on time; Steve thought we were on track. (Turned out, we were!)
For two blissful days we forgot about boxes and focused on beach walks, shell gathering, and sunsets over the Gulf. We returned home refreshed and reenergized to finish the tasks at hand.
Through Garry and Cindy, God provided the stress-relief we desperately needed.
- El Neshamah (The God of Ideas)
Numerous times over the years I’ve needed ideas for: 1) teaching concepts to my elementary students, 2) communicating truths to Sunday School classes or Bible study groups, or 3) a fresh perspective in a blog post. Numerous times God has supplied.
Sometimes I hear or read some little snippet, and God turns that spark into an idea.
One Sunday, not long ago, the worship leader used three words within the same prayer: salvation, restoration, and transformation. For the next day or two I collected more ____-tion words, thinking they might be expanded into a post somehow. The result? “Oh God,” published June 18.
Praise God he is always revealing himself in fresh, new ways, inspiring greater trust in him and informing us more fully of his character and provision.
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To our God of Never-Ending Glory: Thank you for your love and faithfulness expressed in countless ways. You are holy and magnificent, yet you crown us with goodness and compassion, blessing and honor. You care about every aspect of our lives. For these reasons and more, we praise your glorious name(s)!
What new name would you declare for God, based on your experiences with him? Share your contribution in the Comment section below!
*Name changed.
(Art & photo credits: www.growingyourbaby.com; http://www.lds.org; http://www.dailytech.com; http://www.floridaescape.com; http://www.633woman.com.)
From the Inside Out 