Yesterday Jeff and I jumped into the Christmas celebration! We went to a tree farm down in “the country land” and cut down our first tree! (Well, Jeff cut it down- I just stood by, took photos and cheered him on.) It was a blast! Hot cocoa, foggy day, rain boots, jackets, candy canes, Christmas Pandora Station.
When we got home we went to work decorating our beauty of a tree. Since we don’t have tons of ornaments yet, we decided to make some of them this year by writing out names of God on tags.
As I was sitting there with Jeff scribbling out the names of God, there were some tags that I wanted to press up to my heart because some of those names of God were made known to me during special seasons of my life. For instance, the summer after I broke up with Jeff, I went through a season of really doubting God. I thought I was going to marry him (which, I did eventually!), and had so longed to be married.
Why wasn’t this the guy? How could God let me fall for him, and then tell me to call things off? Did God really know my heart? Did He really know what’s best for me?
I had been reading Genesis that summer, and I remember one morning studying about Hagar. Abraham had slept with her, following his wife’s urging since she could not get pregnant. Then when they found out Hagar was pregnant, Sarai (Abraham’s wife) got furious, so Hagar fled. Here was Hagar, all alone, pregnant with child. And God met her there. God “listened to her affliction” (Gen. 16:11). In that very place, Hagar proclaims, “You are a God of seeing”.
Now, my circumstance was nothing like Hagar’s. But I remember God whispering to me, “Alyssa, I am a God who sees you. I know you. I know your every desire. Your every longing. Your every hurt. And I know what’s best for you. You are not alone in this. I am with you. I see you. I know you.”
God is a God who sees.
And that’s just one tag! One name of God. One truth of God. How many more there are!
Our God is:
The Holy One of Israel
Keeper
Redeemer
Comforter
Counselor
Prince of Peace
Mighty God
Father, Abba
Living Water
Adonai
Savior
Strong Tower
Righteous God
King of kings
Lord of lords
What names of God are special to you? What parts of His character has He made known to you in specific moments of your life?
its my hubby and I’s first married christmas as well as our new baby girls first, I am gonna write them down on little peices of paper and put them into our ornimates(I’m going for a pink black n silver butterfly theme).. no one but us will know they are there but you will feel the Spirit 🙂
Beautiful list! The unchanging, ever close friend
Hosanna in the highest 🙂
Deliverer
Best friend
Love
Everlasting rock
Victor (victory)
Truth
Eternal
Who was, and is, and is to come
King
Worthy
Refuge
Christ <3
…I could go on and on…
I LOVE this. I often think of that passage and today I was thinking about how we serve a “God of seeing” so your post was an extra special blessing tonight. I’d love to hear more about what God did in that waiting period when you and Jeff were not dating, if you would be comfortable sharing. I only say that because I was in a dating relationship where I thought marriage was in sight and felt God saying to call it off. Hindsight, it was a really positive change in that season of my life and while I don’t think that God will bring the same guy back into my life, I know that He is able to do whatever He pleases and that His ways are mysterious. I want to be fully surrendered to all that He asks of me, whether that involves a man in my future or not. I so appreciate you sharing your heart in your posts! Blessings, sweet sister!
There is only one God and HIS NAME IS JESUS! Just the Sound of his name brings peace that passes all understanding. I love that name of JESUS…
Could you elaborate more on the season of doubting / the background story of when God called you to break up with Jeff? This literally just happened to me this summer and am still in the stage of questioning why God put him in my life just to take him out so quickly.
I love this post! My pastor actually preached about this tonight, the names of God and how important they are. It is such a coincidence that I come home from church and read this entry now! Two of my favorites is: redeemer and I am.
Where did you get the tags? 🙂
Abba. Savior. Comforter. Protector.
I read this post through a friend of mine on Facebook. I absolutely love this. Thanks for sharing. I was just talking about how the nation is seeming to loose the connection with God, and how it seems people are forgetting him. It just seems like love is waxing cold. So, this post blessed my spirit. Just reading your testimony and seeing you and your family glorify God just warmed my heart today. Be blessed and encouraged.
Thank you so much for sharing this, Alyssa. Your blog ministers to my heart deeply… am going through a grieving stage in life and needed to be reminded that He is a God who SEES! Hallelujah.