The Wednesday Word 1.25.2023

 Exodus 6:2-7
New Living Translation

“2 And God said to Moses, “I am Yahweh—‘the Lord.’ 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty’ —but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them. 4 And I reaffirmed my covenant with them. Under its terms, I promised to give them the land of Canaan, where they were living as foreigners. 5 You can be sure that I have heard the groans of the people of Israel, who are now slaves to the Egyptians. And I am well aware of my covenant with them. 6 “Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. 7 I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt.”
We may ask as Shakespeare asked, “What’s in a name?” Does it really make a difference how we refer to God? I think it does. It’s a lot like any relationship. For example, I always called my father “Daddy.” If I was trying to get across a point or we disagreed about something, it was “Dad.” To his brothers, he was “Shorty” (even though he wasn’t). He shared his first name with his father. His mother called him by his middle name to distinguish the two. My mother picked up that habit. Socially and in the workplace, he went by “Sid.” You can see how causal acquaintances might be confused. No matter what you called him, he was still the same generous, responsible and loving man.
I think of God’s name in much the same way. When I am overcome by the mystery of him, he is “The Great I Am.” When contemplating the wonder of our world, he is “Creator God.” When I think about his power and majesty, it’s “Almighty God.” But, most of the time, much like my earthly father’s affectionate sobriquet, God is “Heavenly Father” in my heart. And, just as my earthly father was a good man regardless of what he was called, God is God no matter what name we use. What matters is how we call his name. It must be with the respect and honor due him. It must be with gratitude. It should be in obedience. And always, with love…something to pray about.
Don’t forget to look for the Lord today. Vicki H.























 








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