Jehovah Shalom

I've grown closer to more people in this program within the past week than I have in the entire month beforehand.  Which is ironic, because there is only about a week left of orientation, after which we will all separate and go to our respective cities all over Korea.  And as Departure Day - D-Day - comes mercilessly closer and closer, I find myself asking God more and more frequently for peace.

I never dreamed that I would meet and befriend people like the ones that I have.  They are incredible.  They lift me up, encourage me, chastise me when needed, and love me unconditionally.  And right when we've started really getting to know each other, we're about to leave each other.  It's a very difficult pill to swallow.  Although we haven't known each other very long, they already mean so much to me, and the thought of leaving them fills me with sadness.

But God keeps reminding me that this is not the end of our friendships.  Sure, it will be harder to stay in touch than it is now, and I will not be able to see them every day, but distance does not automatically equate with severed relationships.

And God sent me who I needed when I needed them here at orientation; He can do it again at my school.  He will always send what you need when you need it.  There is no reason to assume that His mercies will stop.  So if you are worried about the future, stop....take a deep breath...and call on Jehovah Shalom, the God of Peace, to calm your heart and rejuvenate your mind.

Judges 6:19-24

 ¹⁹ Gideon went inside, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak.
 ²⁰ The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so. ²¹ Then the angel of the LORD touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of the staff that was in his hand. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the LORD disappeared. ²² When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he exclaimed, “Alas, Sovereign LORD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!”
 ²³ But the LORD said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.”
 ²⁴ So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

The name game

Goodness gracious, I'm so glad that God is bigger than I am.  Ever since I heard about my Fulbright scholarship, things seem to have been spinning out of control.  I've got to get a full medical examination and other forms to them within the next few weeks; I've got like 3 awards ceremonies to attend in the next week; the campus publicity office wants to do an article on me, and so they're trying to set up a time for an interview and a photo shoot; I've got another round of tests coming up, plus final presentations in almost every class; graduation rehearsal; certification exams; work; class; church; yada, yada, yada....  I feel like I've barely had time to breathe - and when I do breathe, it's only shallowly.

It's easy to get overwhelmed.  In fact, it's hard not to get overwhelmed.  So I thought that today I would write about some of the names of God that exemplify who He is and show us His character.  Studying God's names has always been one of my favorite Biblical topics, and always leaves me feeling reasted and peaceful.  I trust that God will not let me down this time :).

El Shaddai: God Almighty or the All-Sufficient One (Genesis 17:1). He is the Author of all good things; without Him what can we do?? But with Him, who can stand against us?? It's so easy to say, but so much more difficult to really believe.  Do we really believe that God is truly all we need? I know that I often have trouble believing that....

Our Shepherd: Psalm 23. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
One of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible!! There is sooo much to this chapter! Ohhh, I pray that I will always remember that He will always bring me to the safety of green pastures, even when I don't want to go and He must "make" me.

Jevovah Jireh: the Lord will Provide. I have a banner over my bed with these words on it. It serves as a constant reminder to put my trust where it belongs. "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?" (Luke 12:25-26) Oh, how He wants to lavish His love on us!!! I have experienced such an overwhelming downpour of His favor this past week that it is difficult to digest. And, I can be content in the knowledge that it is not a dream; my Daddy really does love me that much; just like he extravagantly loves all His children.

Jevovah-Rophe: the Lord who Heals (Exodus 15:22-26). He is the great physician. And the great thing about this Healer is that He is not limited to healing our bodies. Bodies are not the only things that break in this life. Hearts can be shattered, souls can become embittered, and minds worn down. And our Lord, our Adonai, our Master, our Daddy, can heal them all.

Jehovah-Shalom: the Lord our Peace (Judges 6:24). He is our peace! He is MY peace. If my world seems to be going crazy and falling apart, I know that I can lean on the Creator of the world! He is the Master Weaver; when we know that He holds the threads of our life, we can rest in the knowledge that He is creating a beautiful tapestry.

Jehovah-Shammah: the Lord is There (Ezekiel 48:35). That name warrants repeating. He is THERE! When you feel lonely, or scared, or unnoticed....He sees you; He sees me! And He's CRAZY about you!  He will never leave us, nor forsake us. I am reminded of the poem "Footprints". It speaks of a man who dreamed of his life one night, seeing two sets of footprints (his and God's) walking through most of the scenes of his life. But through the most difficult times of his life, there was only one set of footprints. He asked God why God would leave him when things got tough, and this is what God said, "My, son, my precious child, I love you and would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you have seen only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

I thank God that He is a God of many names, and that all of them minister to me in different ways, so that I am made whole.  It gives me chills just thinking about it :).