Know the Story

I have one of those names that you do not find on a keychain in the souvenir shop. My husband and I have that in common. Both of our names are out of the ordinary. We love our names; they are unique, like us, but we were determined to spare our daughter the pain that comes with a unique moniker and name her something she would never have to explain, enunciate, spell, or repeat. We figured, he is from Charlotte, she was born in Charlotte, everyone around her lives in Charlotte... this should be a slam dunk. 

Names make a lasting impression. God the Father has many names, but we mostly call Him God, which is alright as long as we know His story.

The word “god” is actually a generic title. Pagans use the same title for their deities. So, how do we know the Creator God and distinguish Him from other gods? How do we differentiate Him from our preconceived notions and distortions? Look at it this way: people share the same name, and if you call out a common name, many people will answer, especially if they also share the same last name. A good way to distinguish between those people is by their stories. We cannot know our God unless we know His story, which only comes from reading the Holy Bible.

From the very beginning of scripture, the Creator God reveals who He is. He is the God who established a covenant to bless and bring salvation to all nations through the seed of Abraham. When He hears the cries of the Hebrew people, He calls out to Moses, “I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” He did not just say He was God; He distinguished Himself by His story (Ex. 3:2-6). Moses was likely thinking, “Oh, you are that God, the God of my fathers, the Creator God. And You care deeply about how people treat one another because they are made in Your image? Oh, and You have heard the cry of Your people, the Israelites, and seen their oppression and want it to end? Well, that is just incredible! But what can I do for You?! I’m sorry… You want me to do what?? Bring Your children out of Egypt?”

So far, this story has revealed a lot about the character of the Creator God. God the Father is driven to act when there is oppression and injustice—this time, He does so through Moses. We may wonder why God does not just do the work Himself. There we go again, letting our ideas of how we think God should be affect our understanding of who He truly is. Throughout scripture, God acts through commissioning His people. This may not be the most efficient way, but perhaps efficiency is not God's objective. Maybe God is way more concerned with shaping the character of His people than instantly solving the world’s problems. Man has a history of being in a perfect world and still managing to screw things up. God wants us to have the character of Christ, and that takes time.

God called Moses to liberate His people and, naturally, Moses did not want to go. “Who am I to go?” he asked. God answered, “I will be with you,” as if to say, “It does not matter who you are; it matters who I am, and I will be with you.” “Okay, well, who should I tell them sent me?” Moses asked. “I Am Who I Am," said the LORD. What a profound statement. God wanted to convey to His people that He is Yahweh! He is who He is, and whatever attributes He displays, He is truly that to His people, now and always. If God is merciful, He is the perfect embodiment of mercy. If God is compassionate, He is the essence of compassion (Ex. 3:11-26). Mankind is only “some-timey.” If we are sweet, we are only sweet sometimes, and we are only kind and generous sometimes, but Yahweh is who He is all the time!

Our God's name reveals His character to us. Yahweh is with us now and always. When we are suffering, He is there. When we are lost and do not know which way to turn, He is there. He is with us; it does not matter who we are, it matters who He is! There are many false gods, but only one true and living Creator God, Yahweh. He is the only God who rescued His people, the Israelites. He is the only God who lowered Himself to be born man and pay the price for our sin on the cross. God will always be who He is: faithful, compassionate, loving, patient, and kind; that is His story; that is who our God is!

We need to get to know God personally by reading and studying His Word and applying it to our lives. Find out for yourself what God has done, discover the depths of His goodness, realize the profundity of His love for us, and know the story!