Lord, I Want To Know You

I am almost done with my first precept Bible study called Lord, I Want To Know You by Kay Arthur. I technically should be done by now, but some days I stretched into 2 or 3 days. The book goes through some different names of God and it has rocked my world. It has shown me the many different roles that God can and does take in my life at the exact moment that I need Him. For each name I think about a time that He has been that for me in the past 6 months. Then I write that name next to all of the verses I have about that particular name. It's so cool to flip through my Bible and see how God takes on those roles. I am so thankful to serve a God who can be exactly what I need Him to be when I need it. A God who is so huge that He holds the entire world in His hands and so personal that He cares about me and what I need and has plans for my life.

He is 

Elohim: Creator.

El Elyon: God Most High

El Roi: God Who Sees

El Shaddai: All Sufficient One

Adonai: Lord

Jehovah: Self Existent One

Jehovah- jireh: The Lord Will Provide

Jehovah- rapha: The Lord Who Heals

Jehovah- nissi: The Lord Is My Banner

Jehovah- mekoddishkem: The Lord Who Sanctifies You

Jehovah- shalom: The Lord Is Peace

All of this has shown me how much I don't know God. I didn't know Him. I knew Him, but not like this. And all of this brings me back to one of my all time favorite songs: What Do I Know of Holy?, by Addison Road. Saturday I got to see them at Atlanta Fest. The lead singer briefly mentioned Isaiah 6, which was what was on her heart when she wrote the song. It's about Isaiah seeing the Lord and His holiness. Well, a small glimpse of it. For the first time I began to imagine what it would be like to hear the angels singing the most beautiful song I will ever hear: "holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. the whole earth is full of His glory." What would it be like to live in a world entirely full of His glory? How incredible it would be! Isaiah didn't just worship God in that moment, he realized how small and unworthy he truly was. But as he cried out, his guilt was taken away and his sins atoned for. And when he had received such an awesome gift and had seen even just a small portion of God's glory, he was immediately willing to go and tell others. God asked who He should send and Isaiah answered, "send me!" I know that the Bible doesn't say this precisely and that this may or may not be theologically correct, but I imagine Isaiah being excited when he volunteered. Yet humble in the knowledge that he was not worthy.

Why aren't we like Isaiah? Why don't we (myself included) fall on our faces in humility upon catching the slightest glimpse of who He is? And why don't we jump at the opportunity to go in His name for His glory? And what would the world look like if we did? If we spread His name all over the earth because our hearts simply could not contain the amazement we felt from seeing Him. When will we step up? What do I even know of His holiness and how much more is He waiting to show me?

I made Your promises a thousand times

I tried to hear from heaven, but I talk the whole time

I think I made You too small

I never feared You at all

If you touched my face would I know You?

Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

What do I know of You who spoke me into motion?

Where have I even stood but the shore along Your ocean?

Are You fire?

Are You fury?

Are You sacred?

Are You beautiful?

What do I know?

What do I know of holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out

I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about

How You were mighty to save

Those were only empty words on a page

Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be

The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

What do I know of holy?

What do I know of wounds that would heal my shame?

And a God who gave life its name

What do I know of holy?

Of the One who the angels praise

All creation knows Your name

On earth and heaven above

What do I know of this love?

-What Do I Know Of Holy? Addison Road