September in the Scripture

What’s in a Name?

Summer 2017 is almost behind us, the kiddos have started another school  year, and soon fall will be in the air.  This season is a busy one for all of us, and life is messy, but let’s continue investing time together in the Word of God. We are excited for our “September in the Scriptures” series: The Names of God.  We encourage you to carve out a few quiet moments in your day to read, write, ponder, and pray over the daily passages.

This summer I read a great book called, “God’s Smuggler” by Brother Andrew. It is the true story of an ordinary man from Holland who became a Christian missionary.  After the Cold War, he was shocked to learn many Christians in Communist countries had maybe 1 Bible for an entire city, and many governments had confiscated or burned Bibles.  He made it his mission to smuggle Bibles into these countries because he could not fathom a Christian without a Bible.  It was an extremely dangerous mission, but he was willing to die to get the Word of God to Christians under persecution.

We are so privileged in our country and generation to be able to freely open and read our Bibles without fear. Brother Andrew understood for the Christian, the Bible is our life manual.  It is not just a collection of words, but it is our daily bread from which our souls are nourished.  It gives us direction, correction, hope, and encouragement.  Most importantly, we catch a glimpse of its Author, the Creator of the heavens and earth, and Our Heavenly Father, Our Savior.

For this reason, we are going to journey together this month in our Bibles to study the names of God. It will be life changing.  Unfortunately in our culture, there have been so many misunderstandings of who exactly God is, what He represents, and His character. We believe by studying the names of God, we will better learn about who God says He is.  This month you will discover in your Bible reading one of God’s names, “El Shaddai,” the All Sufficient One, and “Jehovah Jireh,” your provider.  He describes Himself as having the gentle nature of a lamb, but also, the ferocious power of a lion.  You will discover God’s heart, His essence, His glory, and His power.  He is the great I AM!  So, what’s in a name?  By the end of this month, we will all be able to declare God’s name is, “EVERYTHING!"

For those desiring further study, we recommend the following books: