Choosing your children's names is an exciting time for many couples. Before my husband and I were thinking about starting a family, we would talk about names for our future children. It was a fun process, and I always enjoyed finding out the history and meaning of each name.
Some couples decide before they have their baby what name they will choose, but we wanted to wait to meet our babies before we made the final decision of what name we would select to make sure we felt it suited our child. I think choosing a name is a great responsibility, as the person will have it for their lifetime, and we wanted solid names with great meaning.
God's names
God has many names, and with each name it reveals a new facet of God's character and his heart towards us.
Some commentaries state there are almost a thousand different names and titles for God in the Bible, but I will just highlight a few here.
Abba
God is Abba – He is our Father.
"So,you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, Abba, Father" (Romans chapter 8 verse 15)."
Jehovah Jireh
God is Jehovah Jireh – the Lord will provide.
"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians chapter 4 verse 19).
There are many examples in the Bible of the Lord providing for his people.
From providing manna in the wilderness, to the ram for Abraham, to feeding 5,000 people from two fish and five loaves of bread, to providing the ultimate sacrifice in our place, Jesus. God continues to provide for our individual and unique needs.
YHWH (Yahweh)
This is God's Hebrew name revealed to Moses.
There are a lot of commentaries about the meaning and significance of the name YHWH. In Exodus chapter 3 verse 14, God uses "I AM" and "Yahweh" interchangeably. Another interpretation of the name "Yahweh" has been "He brings into existence whatever exists."
Elohim
God is Elohim – He is our creator.
God created the heavens and the earth, and he created us.
"So, God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God, he created them; male and female he created them" (Genesis chapter 1 verse 27).
If we ever start to doubt our worth, we only need to dwell on God as our creator and how he intricately put us together.
"I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvellous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well" (Psalm 139 verse 14).
What name of God is speaking to you?
I wonder what facet of God's character he is wanting to reveal to you in this present moment. Perhaps he is wanting to reveal himself as your provider or very present help?
For the past few months, God has been drawing me in closer and revealing himself as Abba Father to me. It has been on a deeper level than I have experienced before. He is our heavenly Father, and we are his beloved children. It sounds so simple yet to fully grasp this, receive this and for this to become our reality, is truly life changing.
I pray we continue to grow deeper in God, and that new facets of God's character are revealed to us as we hunger and thirst for more of Him.
*References: biblestudytools.com, crosswalk.com, Britannica.com
