If one was to ask a married couple
about their first encounter, many would probably say that there was something
about the other person that drew them into that person. For each individual, it
may have been a different type of attraction. The man may say that he was
attracted to her smile, or the woman may say that she noticed his sense of
humor. Whatever the case may be, something brought the two together in such a
way that they wanted to know more about each other. They learned the person’s
name, hobbies, occupation, special interests, family dynamics, friends, goals,
dreams, likes and dislikes, etc. They took the time to call, text, spend time
together, and when they found that they had gotten to know that person on a
deeper level of compatibility, they got engaged and then married. Even after
the marriage, most couples who have successful marriages will say that it takes
a lot of work and heavy maintenance in order to keep the relationship thriving.
Well, it’s the same way with God.
Many people may know about God from
what they learned as a child, church, school, television, or reading a few
texts here and there, but how many can say that they actually know Him? While
knowing about God on the surface may be acceptable as a basic foundation for
many, but that is only the tip of the iceberg in getting to know the One who
created us. We have oftentimes done drive-bys when it comes to our learning of
God instead of taking the time as we would with any other relationship in
getting to know Him, but the more we get to know God, the more we will understand
His divine purpose for our lives.
The question has been posed over
the centuries as to, “Why do I need to know God?” The question may be better posed
as: “Why wouldn’t I want to know the One who created me?” Many people are
seeking to know what their purpose in life is, but they fail to realize that without
knowing God, there is no understanding of purpose or otherwise fulfillment in
life,
So, how do we get to know God. Let’s
use the scenario of when a couple first meet. What is the first thing that you
want to know about that person? – their name. That’s right! The first thing
that you want to know about a person when you are first introduced to them is
their name because it lays the groundwork for beginning to know more about
them. Therefore, we will begin getting to know God by becoming familiar with some
of the names He goes by. In biblical times, a person’s character was often
associated with the name that he had. We can find evidence of this in the two
verses associated with the story of Jabez.
The Bible does not have a lot to
say about Jabez, but in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, we find a lot that deals with his
name. The Bible says that Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His
mother had given him the name Jabez because she gave birth to him in pain. As a
result, despite him being of great character, his name was associated with
being a constant reminder of pain. The Bible is unclear as to what type
of pain the mother was referring to. She could have been referring to the
circumstances surrounding his birth, for there is no mention of his father. She
could have also been referring to her having an extremely difficult labor and
delivery. Then, his mother could have had a broken heart and called him Jabez to
reflect her emotional state at the time. Regardless of the situation, Jabez had
a name that was like wearing a red scarlet letter. This, however, did not keep
him from desiring to not let his name define him.
Jabez prayed to God and asked if He
would bless him and increase his territory. This blessing that he was asking
for could have been in the form of land, cattle, family, and/or other resources
that would have allowed for him to not be viewed as minuscule. Jabez asked God
to keep His hand of protection on him and to keep him from harm so that he
would be free from pain. In other words, Jabez did not want to live up
to his name. He went to the One who could redefine his name and give it new
meaning. The Bible lets us know that God heard his prayer and granted his
request. God gave new meaning to his name and now, when we here the name Jabez,
we do not immediately think of pain, but we associate his name with prayer and
God’s blessings. Therefore, there is something about a Name.
So, lets get started with our
journey of getting to know God. In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the
Philippians, he wrote: “…God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the
name that is above every name….” (Philippians 4:9). Paul was speaking of God
exalting the name of Jesus above every other name because God himself is esteemed
above other gods. This lets us know that the names of God carry significant weight
in being able to know Him. Therefore, as we study some of His names, I pray
that your understanding of God also grows where He truly becomes the Lover of
your soul.
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