Ephesians 3:20-21, Psalm 52:9, Matthew 3:16-17

Carl Belcher

Yesterday was one of the most special days of my life. Sarah and I had the privilege of being surrounded by our family and friends as we celebrated the birth of our twin son and daughter and dedicated them to God.

What made the occasion even more special for us was the fact that for years we had been told we would never have children. After countless tests, treatments and tears, we had reached the stage where we were ready to throw the towel in and call it a day. But God saw the cry of our hearts and answered our prayers in a way which still humbles and amazes me. Yesterday Sarah read out a few entries that she'd written in her journal long before we had any idea she was pregnant. In one of them she asks God to not just give her a miracle child, but "please give us twins, a girl and a boy..".

Trusting God in the most impossible of situations has got to be one of the hardest things God calls us to do especially when the stakes are so high, but I like the way it's put in Ephesians 3:20-21

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen."

So we asked God to help us find the right names that would indicate just how amazing God has been to us and we named them Nathanael which means 'Gift of God' and Anaia which means 'God answered'. Already we've had so many opportunities to share our story as people ask what their names are and what they mean. We pray that as they grow up they will always know the deeper identity that their names reveal.

God's Identity

One of the other cool things that happened as I was searching for just the right names, was finding out just how amazing God's name is. Psalm 52:9 says:

"I will praise you forever for what you have done;
in your name I will hope, for your name is good.
I will praise you in the presence of your saints."

I started wondering why the person who wrote this Psalm thought God's name was so good. Was it the sound? Was it a misspelling, and really he meant 'for your name is god'?

I now know that it has nothing to do with the G, O or D which makes his name good but the fact that there are absolutely loads of other names that God reveals to mankind throughout the years to show just who He is. From EL SHADDAI which means "God Almighty" to JEHOVAH RAPHA which means "The Lord Who Heals", God has so many names.

I sometimes smile when I watch those state ceremonies being held by or for The Queen. Just as the guests enter the room, someone announces them to the queen along the lines of "His Excellency, Supreme Commander, Prince of Bognor, the Very Right Honourable Sir Mandrake Farkwar.."

Apologies if that's your name by the way, but when God reveals His various names to us it's not to flex His muscles & make us dead impressed, but to reveal something more about Himself that will help us to put more of our trust in Him.

When I'm in desperate financial need, it's rather helpful to know that God is JEHOVAH JIREH: "The Lord will Provide" or "The Lord of provision". Not just a God who might be able to spare something to help me out, but the Lord of provision. In effect He is saying whatever your need is, I am above it all, the Lord of everything. Now isn't that the sort of God you'd want on your side?

My Identify