PicoBlog

On this Christmas Eve, 2023, I wanted to write something different from my usual - “Elegies of Lost Things.” It feels a little off-topic, but I wanted to celebrate Emmanuel, “God with Us” this silent night. While thinking I was off-topic, it hit me. At one time, I was a lost thing. Maybe that is why I enjoy searching for lost things. For once I was lost, but now I am found.

Soon after I was found, I had a passion for studying and researching the best-selling book of all time. I had an insatiable desire to discover God’s hidden Hebrew names. They were hidden in plain sight in the Old Testament. Each of his unique names reveals something about His character. I began a study with the great Kay Arthur, founder of Precept Ministries, on the names of the Lord. This knowledge changed my life.

It is hard to understand how a name can change your life. When I grew into this knowledge, the wisdom came. Wisdom is knowledge applied. The more I assimilated this truth about who God says He is into my life, the more my faith grew.

Names of the Lord are precious and transformational. They mean something and they reveal something that will strengthen your faith. Knowing his name gives the believer the power to live each day and in all circumstances. Just knowing the names of God exposes you to different aspects of His character. Here is a list of the names of God in Hebrew along with the meaning. https://www.lwf.org/names-of-god

For the holiday season, I think of the name of God Emmanual - the meaning of Christmas - God is with us. Emmanuel is a haunting name, particularly when you listen to this Amy Grant song.

I love all the names of God. They teach me more about the One I love. The more you know someone, the more you can trust them. There is one name that speaks deeply to me. I wanted to share it with you because I know there is someone who is struggling this holiday season.

Expectations of a happy holiday with all the celebratory trimmings can bring depression or anxiety for a multitude of reasons. This time of year does not bring everyone peace and joy, no matter how many Hallmark movies you watch. Even so, God is with us.

I learned my favorite name of God in the middle of turmoil. My special name of God is Jehovah Sabaoth.

Jehovah Sabaoth means the Lord of Hosts. The one who fights for us - He wars for us when we need his strength.

According to the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, this name occurs over 270 times in the Old Testament. It combines God’s personal name, Jehovah (Yahweh), with the Hebrew word, Sabaoth, meaning “host” or “multitude.” So Jehovah Sabaoth means “The Lord of Hosts.” It means so much more.

The name of God, Jehovah Sabaoth, has saved me in my darkest times. When I felt I was going under, He threw me a rope. I had to come to the end of myself - had to stop trying to fix it myself. When I got to the end of myself, I tied a knot and hung on. Jehovah Sabaoth is the knot at the end of my rope. 

Maybe tonight, a silent night, is not your reality. Jehovah Sabaoth is near. Come to the end of yourself then tie a knot and hang onto Jehovah Sabaoth. He, the Lord of Hosts, will fight for you. All you need to do is rest in His name and know that this too will pass. Proverbs tells us, to run into his name - it is a safe space - a fortified tower. (Proverbs 18:10)

Thank you for allowing me to share my faith. As a writer who looks for lost things in history, I am so grateful that Jehovah Sabaoth found this lost soul in the Spring of 1979. I got to know him better through the years - all his names bring strength and power to live life every day.

Merry Christmas. Thank you for reading and allowing me to share my passion for lost things - hidden history.

I asked my son, the newly minted Dr. John J. Russell to help me with a mini-series revealing some lost churches in Georgia. I hope you will learn with me as we look at the denominational decline in Georgia and why these churches disappeared.

If you feel so led to support my writing, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Starting in January when I begin a series on the Hidden Heroines in Georgia, some of the posts will only be for paid subscribers - as my thank you for your encouragement. Each subscriber helps me to keep writing.

Share Elegies of Lost Things

I

ncG1vNJzZmikmaiurr7UrKqepJxjwLau0q2YnKNemLyue89ooZ6gn6uuqXnSmpmap6Sd