8 Themes

Names of God

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The Israelites had many names for God, and also for others. In the bible times, your name was something that usually happened to you or was your personality. Moses is a good example of something that happened to him. Moses means: Drawn out. This is very fitting for Moses because he was drawn out from the Nile River. My name, Jenna, isn’t found in the bible so it doesn’t have a biblical meaning to it. My name means: You always seek challenges and learn from situations. Your most powerful asset is your ambition which allows you to live the fullest no matter what.

Conflict and Doubt

The Israelites definitely had their good moments and their bad moments. There were times where they doubted God and didn’t think what he said was the actual truth. Something that nowadays we would doubt about is the wisdom of doctors and God that a family member would be healed. We doubt that what they say is the truth and that they won’t be healed or they will be healed. I struggle with that because we get close to the people we love and it’s hard to let go of them.

Call

I believe that everyone has their call to do something that honors and glorifies God. God calls us and we have to respond. God makes lots of promises towards us. We have to listen to God and respond positively. God called Jesus to die on the cross for our many sins, and Jesus responded positively he would do anything for God. Everyone has a different call of what God wants them to do. I feel the call of being able to praise him on a daily basis. I don’t know what I want to do with my life yet or what I want to be. But I already know that I want to be helping people. I also want a job that I can speak freely about Christ and what he has done for me in my life.

Sent to the Promised Land

 

Israel had to trust God that he would lead them to the promised land. God was their Shepard and they were his sheep, he didn’t let them wander off and he cared and loved towards everyone. God also provided for everyone, he provided food, water, and shelter to all the Israelites. Our church is also a place of protection, we go there and it’s peaceful and we have protection. Church is our place that is peaceful, and we don’t have to worry about what’s going on around us, we can just be free and worship God. I go to the Foundry Church in Zeeland and this is my place of peace and protection of all things around. I, like the Israelites, have to trust God in what he’s doing in my life and trust that it’s good.

Salute to a King

Israel went through lots of sin and a lot of redemption from their sin. They all wanted a king to rule over them but they all had different vision for the King, God wanted a nagid. A nagid is someone who is a leader and follows God, and who doesn’t thrive on power. But the Israelites wanted a melek, someone who is a ruler and wants power, and is motivated by power. We all have those moments in our life when we want something but God doesn’t want that. They could be our temptations and things that we know aren’t good but we do it anyway. Some of those temptations or things we know aren’t good could be a phone, friends, and other things that rule in our life.

Something Rotten

Israel worshipped other gods and didn’t put the one true God first. When things like this happened God would send a prophet to get them out of their sin. For me another “god” or “idol” could be sports. I am always busy no matter what time of the year it is. I don’t always have time for God. I need to make time for God and push some things off my plate before I can get more involved in other things. I’m just happy that it’s just sports that are time consuming and not other things that I shouldn’t be doing.

Slide to destruction

Just like the Israelites we all have our own slide to destruction. When we ignore God and go our own way we start straying away from God. Then realize what we are doing and we read our devotions for a while and go to church. But then we slide down again and get back to where we started. For me I go to church every week, I attend youth group, I read my devotions. But I still don’t feel like I’m really close to God because that is my daily life and I’m not working to have a relationship with God. So I try to read my bible as much as I can but I still can fall back and not read my bible and pray for forgiveness like Jesus wants me to.

A Savior

Christ Is my Lord and Savior. He redeems me and he makes me whole. He was born into the world to save us from all of our many sins. Throughout the entire Old Testament it points to salvation for everyone. We have to believe that Jesus is the ultimate salvation he is the only one that can save us. God saves everyone it doesn’t matter what your race or religion or gender is he loves everyone equally because he made everyone in his image.

Names

Conflict/Doubt

Call

Sent to the Promised Land

Something is Rotten

Slide to Destruction

A Savior

Salute to a King