The Lord's name

I suspect it is an anomaly in history and not the norm that our fashion in modern America has been to give our children names with no particular meanings, after movie stars with names of no particular meaning.

Among the list of passengers on the Mayflower were the following names:

Love Brewster, Wrestling Brewster, Humility Cooper, and Remember Allerton, just to mention a few. Most of us have heard of Increased Mather (1639-1723) of Salem witch hunt fame. He was the fellow who urged restraint in the use of "spectral evidence" in the trials. We had thought his moniker a fluke. But it was tame compared to such 16th and 17th century Puritan entries as Faint-not Hewit, Make-Peace Heaton, Stand-fast-on-high Stringer, Be-thankful Maynard, Be-courteous Cole, and Search-the-Scriptures Moreton.

People throughout history have had a sense that there is something deeply mysterious about a name; we have not even scratched the surface.

Therefore, when Moses asked God for His name (Exodus 3:14), he was looking for more than just syllables to use in polite address; he wanted to know who He was. The Lord mercifully disclosed himself to the inquirer: "I Am Who Am." The name is loaded, of course, but even the millionth part of it that I grasp is abundantly encouraging to me: God is "the living God," alive yesterday, today, and forever; the same yesterday, today, and forever.

I need to hear when I am going through my time-bound daily routine that my God is not time-bound. I don't get tired of seeing it repeated, in Psalm 42:2; Psalm 84:2; John 6:60; Acts 14:15; 2 Corinthians 6:16; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; 1 Timothy 3:15; 4:10; 6:17; Hebrews 4:12; 9:14; Revelation 7:2.

God has lots of names, and I claim as many as I know: Jehovah Jireh (Provider), Jehovah Rapha (Healer), etc. But none of these would do me any good if I thought He were no longer alive or interested. I praise Him for being the Living God.