I recently began to study how He described Himself and have found so much more understanding of the One I want to serve. Philippians 3:10 gives the ultimate reason to study God's word. "That I may know Him."
One of the most commonly used names is Jehovah. Loosely translated means 'to be' or 'to live'. Isaiah 43:11, 12a "I, even I, am the Lord (Jehovah), and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed- I, and not some foreign god among you. You are My witnesses," declares the Lord. The name Jehovah is also used in conjunction with other names.
Jehovah-Jireh means God, my provider. When Abraham took Isaac to sacrifice him, Isaac asked where was the sacrificial lamb. Abraham told him, 'God will provide'. (Genesis 22:8) When we are crying out to God in our despair, we can be assured Jehovah-Jireh will provide for us. It may not be what we want, but we can rest assured that He will keep His word.
Jehovah-Shalom means 'Jehovah is peace'. Judges 6:24 tells us that Gideon built an altar to the Lord and called it Jehovah-Shalom. That is when the angel of God came to Gideon. God used Gideon to save the Israelites from their enemies.
Jehovah is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is still the God of peace, provision, and healing (Jehovah-Rophe). As we learn the different names of God, our prayer life can become more alive and vibrant. There will be less prayer offered in a routine way. We will have a name to call the Lord that is appropriate to our needs.
God desires and deserves our worship and praise. He rejoices when our communion with His is more personal and intimate. The more we know about the Lord, the more real and personal He becomes.