Today's the Day!!

Today's the day we begin our new study on the names of God!  Are you as excited about this as I am?  I can't wait to get started!  We often refer to God as our Father, our Heavenly Father.  That name may have been one that you clung to yesterday as we celebrated Father's Day, especially if you are like I am and your earthly Father is no longer here.  But in this study we are going to dig deeper than that and look at the names used in the original languages of the Scripture.  Each of these names will reveal truths to us about God's character and His ways.  So, we will be getting to know God better by getting to know His names.

In the culture in which the Bible was written, a name meant much more than it does today, at least in our American culture.  A name revealed a person's character.  Too often today we choose names for our children simply based on popular trends, or on family traditions, or because it "sounds good".  We don't usually give much thought to the meaning of the name.  It wasn't that way for the ancient Hebrews.  A name meant something!  So, as we spend these next several weeks examining names used for God in the Scripture, we will see that they meant something!  We'll learn what the name means.  And we'll learn how that makes a difference for you and me.

Through it all, we will continue to use the inductive Bible study principles that we began learning as we studied Psalm 119 together.  If you weren't with us for that study, not to worry!  There will be plenty of explanation as we go along!

Let's begin by turning to Psalm 20 and reading that through slowly and prayerfully.  Do you see any repeated words or phrases?  Anything that has to do with a "name"?  What do you learn about a "name"?  Also, look for any words or phrases that have to do with trouble or needing help.  Again, what did you learn?  Finally, are there any promises in this Psalm?  What are they?  You might want to make a list in your notebook or journal.

Did you learn anything in Psalm 20 about the name of the Lord?

There's a familiar verse in this Psalm......"Some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God."   What does that mean?

The Hebrew word that is translated  "boast" is a word that means to "have confidence in".  Does that help you understand the verse a little better?  When the Psalm was written, horses and chariots were common.  Not so much for us today!  We might say "some boast in tanks and armies", or some boast "in the power of the government", or "in their financial wealth", or "in their own abilities".  What are some other things we place our confidence in today?

The psalmist (in this case, David) says he boasts in the name of the Lord.  That means he places his confidence and trust in the name of the Lord.  As we said earlier, the Lord's name represents His character.  David states that his confidence and trust are in who God is.  What about you?  Where is your confidence placed today?  Note the question carefully......not where should it be placed, or where do you want people to think it is placed, but where have you placed your trust........not just for eternity, not just for the "big things" of life, but for the little things as well.  Think about that today, and we'll dig in deeper tomorrow.

If you're wanting to go deeper into this topic than this blog study, I recommend Kay Arthur's "Lord, I Want to Know You".  You can order it direct from Precept Ministries, or can probably find it in your local bookstore.

As we close, here's a fun assignment........do you know what your name means?  If you have children, do you know the meaning of their names?  Do a little research today, and if you would like to share your findings, leave a comment.  About that, or about anything else as well.

Welcome to this journey!  I'm so glad you are joining me!  I'll meet you back here tomorrow!

"The name of the LORD is a strong tower, the righteous runs into it and is safe." (Prov. 18:10)