"Because he has set his love on Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high because he has known My name." Psalm 91:14

        This verse isn't simply talking about actually knowing God's name. The Hebrew translation for the word "known" is usually used in the context of how one would know a familiar friend or kinsman. This verse speaks of an intimacy with God that doesn't come from only knowing His name. God has many names in the Bible: Jehova Rapha, Jehova Shalom, Jehova Nissi, YHWH, Elyon; and each name embodies a different aspect of God's character: Healerer, Peace, Banner over my head, Lord of all. We all know different aspects of God better. One who has has a lot of illnesses knows God better as the Healer than one who is as healthy as a horse. The point is not about which aspect of God you know better, the point is that you need to continue to know more of the names of God. 
          Names are pregnant with purpose and meaning. In Bible times, parents would wait 8 days after a baby was born, watching it's personality and tendencies, and praying and fasting, before finally choosing a name. Once you knew a person's name, you knew who they were. Names today don't seem to carry quite as much conscious meaning, but the power behind them is still there. If you haven't yet, I would encourage you to find out what your own name means, I promise it will stick with you. My own name: Monica means Wise Counselor or Advisor, and it has suited me more than I ever thought it would.
         All of God's names make up His character, and the more you know of who God is, the deeper your relationship becomes with Him. In every situation in life, every new season, I make a point to ask God which part of Himself He is showing to me in a new way this season. Which name will I know more deeply after this? For much of my life I have know God as Advocate, Lover, and Faithful One. The name I pray continuously to understand Him better as is Creator.
           So I ask you, do you know God's name?

Yours Forever?

         For those of you who don't know me, I am a nanny. And often God uses my kids to teach me and show me more of His powerful truths. Here's another one I learned recently:

         I babysit every Saturday for a 3 year old boy and a 2 year old girl. These kids are crazy awesome with boundless energy and always so much fun. We often play a game where I am the "monster" who chases them around the house; and for some reason they love this game more than any other. I couldn't understand why but they ask for it every week! Well this week I finally understood the allure of the monster game.
        The most fun part of the game is when I finally catch one of the kids, growling that now they are mine forever, and carry them off to my cave (which is really the couch) and wait for their sibling to come and rescue them. But this week when I captured the little girl ready to carry her off to my cave once again, I didn't get squeals of laughter and her yells of "help brother" like normal; instead she clung to me and looked up at me with big eyes and asked "Am I yours forever?"
         My heart just melted. And it was then that I understood why these kids loved the monster game so much. We all want to be chased; we want to be pursued. We want to be swept off our feet by someone exclaiming that they have us now and will never let us go...
That we are their's forever.

        When I heard little Alyssa asking me again and again that day if she was mine forever, I heard my own heart echoing, crying out to God, asking "Am I really yours forever?" And this was His response:
"And The Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not leave you or forsake you; do not fear or be dismayed." Deuteronomy 31:8
"...and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20
"Where can I go from Your spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven you are there, if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me and Your right hand shall hold me." Psalm 139:7-10
       Sound like someone who has been captured to you? This is the proof of God's pursuit of us. This is Him lifting us up in His arms, and promising that we are His forever.