Knowing God's Name By Diane Webb

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Knowing God by name? By Diane Webb
Psalms 9: 10
“And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee.”
What is so special about knowing and using someone’s given name—a first name? There once was a group of women who worked in setting that involved serving the public. These women became unnerved by unwanted attention from male customers. To provide an extra measure of security they decided to switch name tags routinely so no customer really knew their true names. For some reason, it was less frightening to them for their true names not to be used. People from past cultures were given two names—one to tell people and one not to. It was considered dangerous to tell your secret name. The second name was given at maturity. We, as Christians, will get a new name one day as well—at our maturity in our relationship with God. The Bible indicates God will give those who overcome a new name that only God & the receiver will know (Revelation 2: 17). God revealed his personal name to Moses so the Israelites would believe God has spoken to him (Exodus 3: 15). The name of God was considered so holy it could not be spoken or written. God’s name given to Moses is often depicted as Yahweh. In earlier translations it is written as Jahve or Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh. Others use Jehovah as God’s name. These are names used for God in the Bible to represent the name written down by God for Moses--God’s true name. The name revealed to Moses was represented by only some of the letters because the name of God was considered too sacred to write. The translators were left to “fill in the blanks”. Is the passage today trying to encourage knowing what this specific name is? If it is, how can we possibly know God’s name for sure? God never asks us to do something we are unable to do. More likely the psalmist is referring to knowing God intimately—his character, what his nature is rather than a given name. Knowing a name alone does not tell us everything about a person. However, knowing someone “on a first name basis” usually means you know the person well. This is not to say we are to be irreverent and casual with God, our creator. It does mean we are to know him well enough to trust him. To know God by name is to know God’s character. The more you know someone, the more you know their qualities. The better the character traits are, the more you trust them. God is the highest standard of character—he created the standard. To know God’s character is to trust God in your life—with your day to day decisions and concerns. God promises to never forsake those who seek him. God keeps his promises. He has not made it impossible to achieve his protection and favor. Notice the verse does not say “those who find him”. It says “those who seek him”. Seeking God is a lifelong process. As long you are seeking God he is with you and you can depend on him not to abandon you. Seeking is the continuous development of closeness and understanding between you and God. To seek God is to have God with you. God likes to prove himself to us. He enjoys demonstrating his love. He is praised and worshipped when we trust him. Honor God by spending enough time with him in order to know him. The benefits will be a natural consequence of knowing God.
Father, help me get up early enough and make time for you throughout the day as well. Lord, give me wisdom to understand your nature and your character. Lead me in seeking you in all things. I ask this in the name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen

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