Today I was listening to one of my favorite worship songs. It’s about who God is. Oh, how I love the reminder …
Jehovah Jireh … my Provider Jehovah Nissi … my Lord reigns in victory Jehovah Shalom … my Prince of Peace
When everything changed in my family, there was a time I struggled to make things better … different … the same as before … anything but what they were … and on some level I imagined if I could just do everything I should God would give me my husband back, my marriage back.
My faith was very much a works-based faith, which isn’t really at all what I believe. I’m all about grace.
Apparently I didn’t really get it at that point. I just felt like if I was good enough, God would really bless me. I mean He would bless me the way I wanted to be blessed—my definition of blessed.
Unfortunately (and fortunately) God did what He knew was best, not what I thought was best. He didn’t base his response to me on my behavior … good or bad. He based it on His good and perfect will, His infinite wisdom, and unconditional love. And I’m so thankful that He did.
And what I learned in the process is that grace is even better than I thought.
I knew that God had been gracious to me when I was saved, but I was missing out on the daily grace of giving up everything to Him.
I also discovered that if I base my faith on what God is going to do in my life rather than who He is, I will have a very wobbly faith. When things get wonky, which they will, I will get wonkier to be sure.
My faith must be based on Him … who He is and who I am because of who He is. He is my everything.
And among many other things, He is:
My Hiding Place
My Refuge
My Strength
My Deliverer
Adonai-Jireh: The Lord will provide
Adonai-Rapha: The Lord that healeth
Adonai-Nissi: The Lord our banner
Adonai-Shalom: The Lord our peace
Adonai-Ro’I: The Lord my shepherd
Adonai-Tsidkenu: The Lord our righteousness
Adonai-Shammah: The Lord is present
Healer of the sick
Freer of the captives
Clother of the naked
Opener of blind eyes
Supporter of the fallen
Straightener of the blunt
Fashioner of light
Maker of peace
How cool is that list! I love it!
And because of who God is I have hope. I have hope that God will use everything in my life for good.
That His love for us is perfect and therefore we have nothing to fear.
That I can trust Him with the present and the future.
And that brings me back to where I started.
Because of who God is … I love Him.
I want to walk in a manner worthy of my calling—not because of me, not because I want a good thing to happen, not because I want a blessing, not because I’m so awesome at following Him, but because He is who He is … my Lord, my God, my Refuge, my Strength … my Savior every day!
