Adonai

One of the quotes I hate the most is this one:

 "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." 

That’s just not true, unless you are the rare individual who recognizes and responds to every moment in an ultra insightful way. For most of us, our weeks are full of family dinners, carpooling, diapers, appointments for work, and conversations with friends that are slowly building something holy and beautiful though they seem mundane at the time.

Much like the mundane yet practical, daily interactions with friends and family build strong relationships, the practical, daily presence of God in our lives builds a strong faith. But do we see it?

This week, I would like you to contemplate with me a name of God that is actually a title. In the time the name “Adonai” was written into the text of scripture, humans would have also been given this title- much like Lord Grantham of Downton Abbey.

Used for the one true God, the Hebrews would have been speaking of Adonai as one who is owner, ruler, provider. One with power and responsibility. A practical, daily presence.

When you look back on the moments of your week, do you see God in any of them? The moments when we don’t see God- those moments our eyes are closed or our faith is silent, but they are not moments when God is absent. Our God is a practical, daily presence. Our provider in mundane moments, as well as the moments that take our breath away.

This week, we rejoice in Adonai, our present provider.

Psalm 8
O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you.  When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place— what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?  Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor. You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority— the flocks and the herds and all the wild animals,  the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents.  O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

Psalm 109:21
But you, O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name’s sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!

Isaiah 6:1-8
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 
Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 
And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 
And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 
And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” 
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 
 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

Isaiah 25:6-9
On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. 
And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. 
He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken. 
It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” 

Deuteronomy 10:17-21
For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. 
He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. 
Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 
You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. 
He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen.

1 Corinthians 8:5-6
For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth–as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”– yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. 

#prayersformychildren
#namesofGod
#alightwillshine