Understanding God's Nature as Revealed by His Names

Throughout Scripture, many different names are given to God. Remembering that Scripture is inspired by God, studying the meaning of those names tells us things about God that we need to know. As we see different facets of His character revealed in the names, our faith in God is strengthened and increased.

El Shaddai - Almighty God

This reflects His unfailing capacity to meet every need that we have. Abraham's faith was greatly challenged when he was called to leave his home and family to seek a new country, but God was with him each step of the way, faithfully leading him and supplying all his needs.

Jehovah Jireh - God Sees; God Provides

The story of Abraham offering Isaac on Mount Moriah reveals this name of God to us. God sees every need we have and He goes beyond seeing—He meets those needs.

I AM 

When God called Moses to lead the children of Israel out of bondage, this is the name He chose to identify Himself to His suffering people. There is a wealth of truth in this name; but the primary relevance is that God is everything we need. He is not in the past. He has not changed. 

Jehovah Shalom - The God of Peace

People everywhere are seeking for peace. Yet beyond the struggles of nations, individuals also are seeking peace. The only true source of peace is an understanding of the God of peace. 

Jehovah Shammah - The God Who is There

God is not an abstract concept-He is real; and He is present with us. God's presence should be a visible testimony to all with whom we come in contact. 

Bible names have deep meanings. When we look at the names of God, we see facets of His character and nature that increase our faith and help us grow as Christians. WE find in Him our supply, our present help, our peace and our constant companion. Living in light of who God is changes everything. Living with such an awareness is the only way we can achieve "the high calling of God" for our lives.

Understanding the Filling of the Spirit

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.—Galatians 5:16

We cannot succeed in the Christian life unless we are living in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the source of power to live a godly life. Understanding what it means to be filled with the Spirit prepares us to walk in step with His leading. Although we receive the Holy Spirit when we are saved, there is a marked difference between our possessing the Spirit and His possession of us. To be filled with the Spirit means that we are living under His control.

It is:

A Continuing Filling

It is not a one-time event. As a car cannot be filled with gas just once, we must experience repeated fillings of Holy Spirit power. Walking through a world that constantly opposes the plans and purposes of God requires a renewal of power and strength. 

A Controlling Filling

It is no accident that Paul uses the illustration of drunkenness to symbolize the effects of the filling of the Holy Spirit. We say that a drunk person is "under the influence". He is controlled by something that makes him say and do things he would not normally say and do. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we allow Him to take over and lead us into God's plan, even if that takes us outside of our natural comfort zone. 

A Consecrating Filling

When we are filled with the Spirit, we are not yielding to the temptations that come from the lusts of the flesh. His presence in power brings us into the holiness in which God intends us to walk. Rather than allowing the evils of the world to dominate our lives, He guides us into productive Christian living. The works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit are mutually exclusive. His filling produces the good fruit that pleases God.

As well allow ourselves to be controlled through His filling, we live in a way that fulfills God's purpose for us. This filling is an ongoing process whereby the Holy Spirit takes control.

Understanding Faith in God

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.—Hebrews 11:6

Very few things are said to be impossible in the Bible. When we find that word in Scripture, it is usually in the context that nothing is impossible with God. Yet the Bible tells us that we cannot please God without faith. The three levels—or aspects—of faith we need to have are these:

Believe God Is

Believing God is goes beyond a mental awareness that He is real. This level of faith requires that we understand that He wants to be an effective presence in our lives. Living with that awareness drives us to turn to Him when in trouble. 

Believe God Can

Beyond believing that God is real, we should learn to have faith in His ability to handle our problems. The reason the father of the demon-possessed boy doubted God's ability to heal was that the disciples were powerless; but when he questioned Jesus; power, the answer was a challenge to his own faith. Obtaining the answer did not take complete and total faith—just enough to request, "Help thou mine unbelief."

Believe God Will

The mature faith not only believes in God's ability but also in His promises. Paul was confident that what he had been told would come to pass. After you have seen God work time and time again, you will begin to develop a settled confidence that He will answer your prayers. Those answers will not always be on your timetable or exactly what you were expecting. Faith believes that God will do what is best, not necessarily what you think is best.
—taken from A Vision of God by Robert Byers. To read this book in its entirety, please purchase your copy here.

Understanding the Fear of the Lord

When we have a proper understanding of the Lord, it changes the way we live. We cannot live the way God means His children to live unless we fear Him. Our modern culture has lost the meaning of the fear of the Lord. We have traded the power of the fear of the Lord for the weak imitation of it—reverential trust.

What is the Fear of the Lord?

To fear God means being afraid of Him. This isn't the terror we would feel at facing an unjust tyrant, but rather, a realization of God's holy wrath at sin.

Why Should we Fear the Lord?

We are commanded to fear Him. The Bible so often warns what will happen if we neglect this duty. Because He is holy, fearing Him is only right and proper. 

What Happens When we Fear the Lord?

Dozens of blessings are associated with fearing God. Among them are wisdom, knowledge, long life, blessings for our children, confidence, comfort, and growth for our churches. When we fear Him, He pours out so many blessings upon us. 

Properly understanding the fear of the Lord prepares one to live a holy and blessed life. When we realize that the scope of His love demands that He keep us from things that will harm us and we decide to live in the light of that knowledge, everything changes. There is great comfort and confidence for God's children in walking in the fear of God.

—taken from A Vision of God by Robert Byers. To read this book in its entirety, please purchase your copy here.

Understanding the Greatness of God

God is even greater than we can imagine. Moses saw as much of God's working as anyone, yet he said in his prayer that he had only seen the beginning of God's greatness. This is an amazing statement when you consider all that Moses had seen.

God's Power

Moses saw the burning bush, his rod turn into a snake, his hand infected and healed of leprosy. He saw the plagues, the Red Sea parted so an entire nation could walk on dry ground and another nation drowned. Yet these are just a fraction of God's power. 

God's Glory

Moses asked God to show him His glory, but God would only allow him to see His back because he couldn't survive after seeing Him. Yet that limited exposure made Moses' face shine so brightly he had to wear a veil. 

God's Provision

Moses saw manna fall consistently for forty years. He saw water flow from a rock  and quail blow into camp when the people were tired of manna. He saw bitter water made drinkable and again, this is only a fraction of God's ability to provide.

God's Mercy and Forgiveness

God repeatedly threatened to destroy the children of Israel for their constant complaining and turning away from Him. Time and again, Moses would intercede on their behalf, and God would forgive. There was no limit to His forgiveness.

Conclusion

When we begin to understand how great God really is, we have a firmer basis for our faith. We can always rely on His power to meet our needs and at the same time, we can rely on His great mercy and love, knowing that He will do only what is best for us.

—taken from A Vision of God by Robert Byers. To read this book in its entirety, please purchase your copy here.