Tag: Yahweh

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Psalms Devotionals 2

Because of who He is

Mountain

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Yahweh, my rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14, LSB)

Those words are well familiar to me. I’ve read and sung them many times. But today, I was focusing on that last line.

Who is God to me?

God is “Yahweh.” The eternal one. The only God. The incomparably awesome One, God over all creation.

And yet, he is not a God far away. He is Immanuel, God with me. My rock. My foundation. My refuge in the storm.

More, he is my Redeemer. Jesus shed his blood for me on the cross, buying me out of slavery to Satan’s kingdom and graciously bringing me into his kingdom.

That’s who God is to me.

That’s why I love him.

And that’s why I seek to please him, singing with David,

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight…

Who is God to you?

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Exodus Devotions

Who am I?

Worship

God spoke further to Moses and said to him, “I am Yahweh; and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, Yahweh, I was not known to them.” (Exodus 6:2-3, LSB)

Father, you are El Shaddai, God Almighty. You are Yahweh.

You are the God that was with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

You are the God that was with Moses.

And you are with me.

Who am I that you would care about me?

That you would hear my groanings?

That you would save me and redeem me?

That you would take me to be your own?

That you would bring me into your kingdom?

That you would be my God and reveal yourself to me?

That in Jesus you have revealed yourself to me in a way that even Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses didn’t know.

And so I choose to trust you, even in my struggles.

You were faithful then. You are faithful now. And you will be faithful throughout all eternity.

I love you, Abba.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Exodus Devotions

When we’re discouraged

Moses told [all God’s promises] to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their broken spirit and hard labor. (Exodus 6:9)

Let’s be honest. When we’re discouraged, when we’re feeling beaten up by the world, we often don’t want to hear it when people try to give us God’s words of encouragement.

It’s so easy to get jaded because we think, “I’ve heard these promises before, but I’m worse off than I ever was.”

But the thing we need to remember is God is Yahweh.

God’s name itself implies that he is the one who never changes. That he is the one who always keeps his promises. And that he is the one who is always faithful.

That was his point in saying, “I am the LORD; I am Yahweh.” (2, 6, 8)

So if you’re struggling right now, meditate on that truth: “I am the LORD; I am Yahweh.”

And know that the God who was with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God who was with Moses and the Israelites…this same God is with you.

He was faithful then. He is faithful now. And he will be faithful for all eternity.

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Psalms Devotionals

His name is Yahweh

Psalms

In the Bible, we find that God’s name is Yahweh. (Exodus 3:15)

Unfortunately, most translations obscure that name by translating it as “LORD” in all capital letters. But whenever you see “LORD” in your Bibles, know that it is the divine name “Yahweh.”

But many times, other words are added to that name, and we see even more clearly what kind of God he is.

In Psalm 23, we find that God is “Yahweh Raah,” Yahweh, our shepherd.

But in our times of need, we also find that he is “Yahweh Yireh” (Genesis 22:13-14), Yahweh, our provider. (Psalm 23:1)

When we are lost and hurting, he is “Yahweh Rapha” (Exodus 15:26), Yahweh, our healer. (Psalm 23:3)

When Satan accuses us, God is “Yahweh Tsidkenu” (Jeremiah 23:6), Yahweh, our righteousness. (Psalm 23:3)

In our darkest times when we are fearful, he is “Yahweh Shalom” (Judges 6:24), Yahweh, our peace.

In those times, he is also “Yahweh Shammah” (Ezekiel 48:35), Yahweh, ever-present. (Psalm 23:4)

And in the face of our enemies, he is “Yahweh Nissi” (Exodus 17:8-15), Yahweh, our banner. (Psalm 23:5)

So as we face different situations in our lives, let us never forget who God is.

He is our shepherd, but he is much more than that. He is also our provider, healer, righteousness, our peace, our ever-present one, and our banner.

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Mark Devotionals

Who Jesus really is

Mark

Who is Jesus, really?

The disciples should have known. But somehow, they didn’t.

It should have been clear to them after Jesus fed the 5000. But after Jesus calmed the storm, it’s clear that they still didn’t really know. (Mark 6:51-52)

It should have been clear after he fed the 4000. But even after that, it still wasn’t.

When Jesus warned them against the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod, they thought he was referring to the fact that they had no bread.

And so Jesus said,

Why are you discussing the fact you have no bread?

Don’t you understand or comprehend? Do you have hardened hearts? Do you have eyes and not see; do you have ears and not hear? (Mark 8:17-18)

What did they not see, hear, or understand?

That Yahweh himself was in their midst.

The same Yahweh that fed the Israelite bread in the desert (Exodus 16), the same Yahweh that calmed the sea (Jonah 1:13-16, Psalm 107:27-30), the same Yahweh with the shepherd’s heart for his people (Psalm 23, Mark 6:34, 8:2-3) was the same Yahweh who was with them now.

Was it any wonder the joy Jesus felt when Peter finally got it, proclaiming him as the Messiah, the Son of the living God? (Mark 8:29; Matthew 16:16)

But even so, Peter’s comprehension was incomplete and he ultimately tried to contradict his Lord’s words (Mark 8:32-33).

How about us? Do we realize that in Jesus, Yahweh is truly with us?

That when we are in need, he will provide?

That when the storms of life hit, he will bring us through?

That when he speaks, we are to believe and follow no matter what?

Or does he look at us in amazement, and say, “Don’t you understand yet?” (Mark 8:21)

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Psalms Devotionals

The 23rd Psalm from the Lord’s perspective

Psalms

Last Sunday, I heard a message touching on the 23rd Psalm, and it helped me to see the Psalm from God’s perspective.

I AM your shepherd; you shall not want.

I make you lie down in green pastures.

I lead you beside still waters.

I restore your soul.

I lead you in paths of righteousness for my name’s sake.

Even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
fear no evil,
for I am with you.

My rod and my staff,
they will comfort you.

I prepare a table before you
in the presence of your enemies;

I anoint your head with oil;
your cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow you
all the days of your life,
and you shall dwell in my house forever.”

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Leviticus Devotions

“I am Yahweh”

Leviticus

I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. I am the LORD (Yahweh) your God… (Leviticus 26:12-13)

I wrote about this a couple of days ago, but as I read Leviticus 22-27 again, those words continue to ring in my mind.

He is God. He is the Lord. More than that, he is my God. He is my Lord.

But how often do my decisions fail to take that into account?

When I face difficult decisions, and I wrestle with what is right to do, he says, “I am Yahweh.”

When  I wrestle with what I know is right, and yet I continue to flirt with going in a different direction because it is the easier path, he says, “I am Yahweh.”

When God confronts me with my sin, and I try to make excuses, he says, “I am Yahweh.”

When God shows me a path I don’t want to take, and I start to argue, he says, “I am Yahweh.”

And yet there is grace in that name.

When I fall, but turn to him in repentance, he says in love and forgiveness, “I am Yahweh.”

When life is hard, when I am broken and I feel I simply can’t go on, he says, “I am Yahweh.”

These are words I need to meditate a lot more on throughout the day.

“I am Yahweh.”