Jehovah Nissi- The Conqueror

Do you sometimes feel like you are literally in a fight?  You probably are!  But you are NOT alone! Listen to this! Take a look at Exodus Chapter 17 beginning with verse one.  So far, in our study we have looked at the names of God that He Himself revealed to various individuals.  This name is a little different.  Moses declared a name for God as a result of a victory in a particular “place.”  Pretty cool, huh?

The people were growing tired of their journey in the desert.  The Amalek army was pressing in and to top it off… they had no water! What?  No water?  I get angry if I can’t have a Diet Coke when I go to a restaurant.  They felt discouraged and they began to complain.  I dare say I would probably be among them complaining!  Feeling defeated can be a curse!  It’s overwhelming and fosters negative attitudes.  It can make you feel like giving up… even before the battle has really begun.

Moses took this problem straight to God.  He basically said, (In my words) “You brought us out here, now we are in trouble… what are you going to do?” You see, Moses understood the fight was Gods, NOT THEIRS! (Very important note to myself) In response, God instructed Moses to strike the rock with the staff he had used to part the Red Sea. (another important note to myself… how quick I forget the miracles He has already accomplished in my life) Moses did as God told him, and water gushed out from the rock! Then Moses turned to Joshua and told him to select men to fight against the invaders.

He told Joshua he would stand on top of the mountain and raise the rod of God to remind the Israelites who was REALLY fighting the battle.  This was God’s battle.  And we all know what that means!  Someone is gonna get a whooping! And it won’t be God!  Why?  Because God is our Conqueror!  The Israelites defeated the Amalekites that day.

Moses built an altar to commemorate the victory. Exodus 17:15-16  “And Moses built an altar and called the name of it Jehovah Nissi- The God who Conquers, or The Lord is my banner: for he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that He will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”  Moses used this name to declare that God conquers for His people!

Wow! I get great relief from this amazing promise! Jehovah Nissi is my (yes, my personal conqueror and your personal conqueror) warrior in battle! And there is NONE as powerful as He! I don’t know about you…. but there are times in my life when I feel like I’m getting beat up!  Then I stop and think… “Wait a minute, why am I trying to do this?  This is much too difficult for me.  I need someone who is capable of doing what I can’t.  I need God.  I need Jehovah Nissi.”  

Father, I ask that you constantly remind me I’m not in this alone.  You go before me in battle… and you Lord are The Conqueror!  Thank you Father… my life is in Your hands!

Trish Wilkinson

I am weak, Jehovah Rophe is strong

Like Danielle, I was also drawn immediately to this Name of God.  I find this characteristic of God incredibly awe-inspiring for many reasons.  I have, like many of you, felt the touch of Jehovah Rophe in my life and family.  In particular, he chose to heal my middle son, Jacob.  Jacob was born with a serious kidney condition that would have, in all likelihood, lead to an early death without the supernatural touch of God had he been born 30 years earlier.  Because of God’s grace, he was born in a time when we had the technology to save him.  Jacob’s healing came through the hands of a surgeon and I look at the restoration of his body as no less miraculous than if he had been instantly healed in the womb.

 

As a physician, I have the incredible opportunity to watch as feeble human hands and minds make decisions that somehow result in children who live, instead of die. And I’ve felt the aching pain of watching a child who does die, despite everything humanly possible being done.  If I did not believe that behind every decision, every new technology, every life, every death was My God, My Healer, I could not do what I do.  I will never understand how and why God heals in the ways that he does – the ways mentioned earlier in the week – instantly with a miracle, slowly through modern medicine, or completely when taken to be with Him.  And I am thankful that it is not my responsibility to understand the how and why, only to accept that he is God and he has the power.  I will never stop unashamedly petitioning him for healing – for myself, my family, my friends, my patients.  And I pray that I will always be willing to accept his answers to my pleas.

 

Ladies, we have a God more than capable of healing our every ailment – physically, emotionally, spiritually. He is our Jehovah Rophe.  The name is mentioned over 60 times in the Bible.  He wants us to have this glimpse of who He is.  We have to trust him.  I pray that he helps me to always rely on him and accept him as my Healer, however that looks.

 

Jennifer Evangelista

Jehovah Rophe – The Healer

Good Morning Ladies, I got a tell you, when we went through and picked which name of God we would blog about, this was my first choice…it was my first choice because I have several situations in my own life that have to do with my health that I have battled for some time and God keeps bringing me back to this truth…HE is my Healer, HE is my Jehovah Rophe. 

Exodus 15 tells how the Israelites rejoiced to see God deliver them from the Egyptians.  They rejoiced and celebrated but three days later, when they were unable to find good drinking water, the Israelites started grumbling.  We forget God’s goodness so easily!!!  Anyway, during this distress God spoke to His people through Moses and revealed another name that would encourage them for years to come and the name encourages me today…There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.” 

There have been times in my life where I have read the benefits promised in God’s word, but I have failed to read the conditions attached to them which is what the children of Israel were doing.  As soon as the going gets tough with my health I want to start asking a lot of “why” questions instead of focusing on obeying God, doing what is right in his sight, giving ear to all his commandments and keeping all his statutes; trusting that He is sovereign over ALL things, even my health. 

I have no doubt that God wants me to be healthy and whole physically and spiritually…I also have no doubt that I am going through things physically because He knows better than me what I need and what I may need to go through spiritually to bring him glory.  Either pain is my god, or God is my God.  Either circumstances is my god, or God is my God.  Which is it for you? 

God is in charge of our lives and that might bring different levels of discomfort along the way, but be encouraged because we can eagerly expect that God will heal us, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from…the father” James 1:17.

The last song done today by the worship team was called “Healer” by a group called Planet Shakers.  It is my new favorite song…I encourage you to look it up and listen to the words but here are some of the words…”I believe your my healer, I believe your my portion, your more than enough for me, walk with me through fire and heal my diseases, Nothing is impossible for you, I trust in you.” 

Thank you Lord that you are my Jehovah Rophe!!!

Danielle Counts

Jehovah Jireh – The Lord Will Provide

There’s nothing in my life that brings me more peace than knowing that The Lord Will Provide.  When I look to Him as my provider, I find more peace, in the midst of even the greatest challenges than I have on normal days when I’m not looking to Him.  We first hear of God being called Jehovah Jireh in Genesis 22:14 “And Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the LORD it will be provided.”  If you read Genesis chapter 22 you’ll see that this is the story where God instructs Abraham to take his son Isaac, his ONLY son, whom Abraham loves and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering.  I don’t know about you, but every time I hear this story I’m struck with the truth in my heart, which tells me that I’m not so sure I’d be as obedient as Abraham was, and follow God’s instruction.  I feel fairly confident that I’d be able to find some way to convince myself that surely, surely this wasn’t God’s desire. I mean seriously, after God has promised Abraham that his descendants would be many AND Sarah gave birth to Isaac at such an old age, when most women are considered to be barren…HOW and WHY would God call Abraham to do such a thing?    I think that it is because true faith is developed through trials and must be tested.  Abraham learned that he could not depend on his feelings – or trust his feelings, because surely they would have told him NOT to do such a thing; but rather Abraham learned that he could depend on the promises and provision of the Lord.    Abraham excersised great faith in acting according to God’s will and instruction.  Whenever we do this, and trust in God’s promises, we should know that our Jehovah Jireh will provide.  He will provide!!!  Whenever we face the daily demands and trials of life, we should always remind ourselves that NOTHING is too hard for the Lord, and remind ourselves of the popular scripture and powerful truth in Phillipians 4:13 “I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.”

We should remember that God provides for our needs for the great glory of His name!!  God was glorified by Abraham’s act of obedience.  His glory rains down on our heads because he chooses to bless us through his glory.  Praise God!

Take time today, and this week, to remember and reflect on the fact that God sees our need BEFORE it ever arises and He makes provision for it.  Are you trusting God to be your Jehovah Jireh?  Or are you looking to someone or something else to be your provider?  LOOK TO HIM!!

Here’s a site address for a You Tube video that is a great way to start thinking about all that God is and can be for you as your Jehovah Jireh:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgU8re8b8aA.  CALL UPON HIM TODAY and REST in HIS PROVISION!

Krystee Edwards

A Master and a Shield

Genesis 15:2 is the first time “Adonai” is used in scripture to reference God. The term was used by Abram in his conversation with the Lord. Yet, before Abram uttered “Adonai”, God addressed Abram by saying, “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield . . .”

 

God is not a Master who assigns a task and then sits back with arms folded awaiting the execution of His decree. He does not occupy a passive, observant position. Rather, He goes before us, and not just alongside us. He is at the forefront, acting as our shield, protecting us from the fiery darts of the enemy and the doubt that assails us whenever we step out in faith.

 

Our Master will give us assignments that make us feel inadequate and ill equipped. Just look at the lives of Moses (Exodus 4:10), Gideon (Judges 6:15) and Jeremiah (Jer. 1:6). In each passage, these men referred to God as “Adonai” and then proceeded to inform God of their deficiencies.

 

Our Adonai is not limited by our concerns of personal inadequacy. If anything, He goes after those worries, directing us to do the very things that fall outside the bounds of our “assumed” abilities. For when we step beyond the borders of our sufficiency, we recognize our need for protection and direction. So in response to our need, He goes before us, leading us, guiding us, and being our shield.

 

What an incredible Master we serve!

 

Sarah Howell

Savior . . . but not always Adonai

My first introduction to God was rather simple: He was Savior, and I was the object of His rescue. I came to truly know Him as Savior at the age of 10. And over the past 23 years of our relationship, He’s always been Savior, but not always Adonai.

Adonai means “master.” The idea of referencing God as Adonai wouldn’t be so bad if it didn’t require such a subordinate position from those who utter the term. Perhaps that’s why “Adonai” didn’t find its way into my vocabulary until many, many years after my salvation.

I guess God, in His infinite wisdom, knew that if I didn’t first truly know Him as Savior, then I’d never have pure motives for calling Him “Adonai.” Guilt can be an oppressive taskmaster, demanding our allegiance before our hearts are given opportunity to truly know God. I’m thankful God gave me time to know Him and love Him as Savior, before knowing Him as Adonai. For obedience born from gratitude is far more appealing to God than obedience born from guilt. He is now, without a doubt, my Adonai, not because I’m guilted into servitude, but because my heart of gratitude compels me to respond to Him with complete surrender.

Sarah Howell

Elyon

There are so many questions that surround reflections on our sovereign God.  Contemplating the Lord’s sovereignty can easily lead to feeling like your head might just spin off your neck! All of us probably have our own unique struggle with understanding God Most High and what He pleases to do (or does not please to do for that matter). While it is good to seek to understand Him, we will never be able to fully comprehend why God does what He does.  That is the very reason we worship Him!  If we could understand everything about Him, He would cease to be so impressive.  He is a divine mystery and we should revel in this mysteriousness!   

 

Paul addresses it perfectly in his doxology in Romans 11:33-36. “Oh, the depths of the riches wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!  For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?   Or who has given a gift to Him that He might be repaid?  For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.”

 

 

 

What is ultimately important in contemplating His sovereignty is learning to simply trust Him.  Psalm 91:1-2 says “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.”  By dwelling with the Lord and knowing Him on a more intimate basis, we become freed up to just rest in His shadow.  We do not have to know the answers to everything because we can just trust The God Most High. 

 

 Let us ask the Lord to draw us closer to Him so that we can rest in His shadow. 

Jenny Hord 

 

Elyon

 God Most High, Possessor of heaven & earth (Genesis 14:19)

 

What a mighty God we serve who possesses both heaven and earth!  Everything is at His command.  By His word, the foundation was laid for the earth and the stars were set in the sky.  Nothing is too hard for Him.  Nothing is out of His reach.  Everything is under His dominion. His Divine will cannot be thwarted by anyone or anything.  Sure, we make our own plans but His purpose prevails.  If we had to shrink it down to fit on a bumper sticker we might say- He is large and in charge! 

 

The rest of us have all different levels of authority under which we must submit to (or pay the consequence). We can only know what it means to do as we please on some small level.  Being a mom of two small children right now, doing whatever I please comes especially rarely! We all have federal laws, state laws, city and county ordinances.  The list goes on and on.  But the God we serve is possessor of all and subject to no one!

 

Arthur Pink describes Him as “being infinitely elevated above the highest creature, He is the Most High, Lord of heaven and earth.  Subject to none, influenced by none, absolutely independent; God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, always as He pleases.” 

 

And again, Psalm 135:6 says “Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.” 

 

What blows my mind, ladies, is that it pleases Him is to delight in us and make us His children!  Who are we, that God of heaven and earth sitting on His throne above would be mindful of us!  I cannot think of a more sobering thought.  Let us all take the time to praise him as our sovereign God who does what He pleases and thank Him that it pleases Him to love us! 

Jenny Hord