GOD CAN MEET YOUR NEEDS Part 2 of 7
God Is The Answer to Your Deepest Needs
Matthew 6:9
As we look at the Lord's Prayer we will discover how God can meet the greatest needs that we have in our lives.
I was thinking about the new grand baby on the way and realized that one of the first decisions any parent has to make regarding children is, “What are we going to name them?” That can be very frustrating because there are times when couples might disagree about names.
In today's world there is often no thought given to what a name means. However in the bible names had meanings.
Genesis 35:18 Rachel was giving birth to what would be Jacob's last son. Just before she died she named the baby boy Ben-oni which means "Son Of My Sorrow". Could you imagine going through life with that name, Son of My Sorrow.
Every time someone would call his name it would be a constant reminder to him that he brought his mother sorrow and death.
But Jacob said No, my son will not be known as Ben-oni, "the son of my sorrow". He will be know as Benjamin, The son of My right Hand.
The point that I want you to get is this, Biblical names had meanings.
With that thought I want you to realize is that God has revealed Himself to us through His name.
In Psalm 83:18 That men may know that thou whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth. JEHOVAH means the self existent, self sufficient everlasting and eternal ONE, (GOD).
The Bible says before we ask for our needs, we need to remember and reflect on God's name.
Matthew 6:9 "This is how you should pray: Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name."
When we say Our Heavenly Father, we need to stop and think about who our Heavenly Father is.
Our Heavenly Father is the Self existent, self sufficient, Everlasting and Eternal, Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above what we are able to ask or think of Him. This is Our Heavenly Father!
Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a Strong Tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
Today, many don't understand that 2000 years ago names meant something -- a name represented your heritage.
God's name represents all that He is and reveals what He's really like.
When you read the Bible you will find that God has revealed Himself through many names because no single name can describe all of God's attributes. No single name can describe all that God is.
I have many names, depending on who you talk to. I'm called Father, Daddy, Honey, Pastor, Reverend and my favorite Paw Paw.
Although God has many more names I've chosen four -- four names of God -- "hallowed be your name" -- and what they tell us about God.
1. God wants to supply my needs. -- Jehovah-Jireh, God my provider
2. God wants to forgive my faults. -- Jehovah-Tsidkenu, God is my righteousness.
3. God wants to relieve my stress -- Jehovah-Shalom, God is my peace.
4. God wants to heal my hurts -- Jehovah-Rophe, God is my healer.
1. JEHOVAH JIREH, GOD WANTS TO SUPPLY MY NEEDS
Genesis 22, God is called 'Jehovah Jireh' meaning “God is my provider.” We're all familiar with shortages in the world today. Shortages in your personal life. Time, money, energy.
Philippians 4:19 "God will supply all that you need from his glorious resources in Christ Jesus."
Whatever your most urgent need is you ought to consider asking God because He will supply all of your needs.
2 Peter 1:3 "As you know Him better, God will give you, through His great power, everything you need for living a truly good life."
God will give you everything you need to live a godly life! What ever your need is God can provide it. Many times we miss out on God's provision because we get out priorities out of order.
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His Righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
If we put God first then God will take care of the rest. Our problem is that we are often seeking everything but God and His kingdom. God has promised that if we seek Him and His kingdom that He would provide our needs.
2. JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU, GOD WANTS TO FORGIVE ME OF MY SINS.
Jeremiah 23:6 says "God is my Righteousness." 'Jehovah-Tsidkenu. God likes to make wrong things right. Do you have anything wrong in your life you'd like to have made right? God wants to do it. He likes to set wrong right. God is my righteousness.
Most people today run around under a load of guilt. I saw a cover on People magazine years ago that said "Learning to Live with a Past that Failed". The article talked about how guilt leaves people struggling under condemnation and defeat and discouragement because of regret and guilt.
The fact is God has good news when you feel guilty. Isaiah 43:25, "I am the God who forgives your sins, and I do this because of who I am." Why does God forgive? Because you earn it? No. Because He is 'Jehovah-Tsidkenu' -- God is my righteousness. God loves to forgive. It says "I am the God who forgives your sins.”
"We have all sinned". That's the bad news, but the good news is "... yet God declares us `not guilty' of offending Him if we trust in Jesus Christ..." Romans 3:23-24. That’s the good news.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For He (God) hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
You and I have been declared righteous by faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary, not by anything that we have done. If you are saved then you have been forgiven.
Satan is the accuser, not God. That's what his name means "accuser, adversary.” God is your righteousness. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.
God is my righteousness. He loves to forgive. Not because of what I've done but because of who He is and what He has done for me through Jesus Christ.
3. JEHOVAH-SHALOM, GOD WANTS TO RELIEVE MY STRESS.
In Judges 6:24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites. "God is my peace" Jehovah-Shalom'. (Story of Gideon) That's something we all need. Most people are over stressed, over committed, uptight, stressed out. They need peace.
God wants to relieve my stress. It's amazing to me that people go great lengths to find peace. Many people look to drugs and alcohol to find peace. People can get high but when they come down, they still have the same bills, the same problems, the same relational difficulties, the same low self esteem. It doesn't help.
1 Corinthians 14:23 "God is not a God of confusion but of peace." The God of peace, wants to be your peace.
Jesus said in John 14:27 "The peace I give you isn't fragile like the peace the world gives so don't be troubled or afraid." The world's peace is based on circumstances. God's peace, on the other hand, is not circumstantial. God's peace is based on His character, on the character of God. 'Jehovah-Shalom'. God is my peace. He gives me inner peace and God never changes. God wants to teach you how to live in a world of turmoil and be at peace continuously.
God wants to teach you how, in spite of difficulty, discouragement, defeat, distractions, disappointment, death, divorce, stress, crisis, and sickness, how to have on going peacefulness on the inside.
Isaiah 26:23 Thou wilt keep him in Perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
What ever is your greatest stress? Finances? Health? Relationships? ask God to help you with that? I'm Jehovah- Shalom, the God of peace. I want to relieve your stress.
4. JEHOVAH - ROPHE, GOD WANTS TO HEAL MY HURTS.
In Exodus 15:26 God is my healer.
God wants to heal your hurts, wherever you're hurting. It's amazing when you study the ministry of Jesus how much His ministry was given to healing hurts.
He raised the dead
He healed the sick.
The blind got their sight back.
The crippled walked.
The deaf could hear.
Jesus spent a major portion of His time healing hurts. He's concerned about our hurts and our needs.
Many wonder if God still does that today. Does God still heal today? Of course. All healing is of God whether it's done through a doctor or anybody else.
Does God care about other kinds of hurts besides physical hurts? You bet!
Psalm 147:3 "God heals the brokenhearted and he binds up their wounds."
Our deepest hurts are often emotional. You can break an arm or a leg and it will heal, but you can have a broken heart and it might hurt 20 to 30 years.
God says I want to heal the brokenhearted, I want to bind up your wounds.
If you're hurting, disappointed, let down, rejected, abused, God sees it. He sees into your heart and He cares. More than His seeing and caring, He wants to heal your hurt. He wants to heal your hurt! He understands like no person else ever could.
What is your deepest hurt? You know what it is. Let God heal it.
God, knows the hurt you have carried for weeks or months or years! We all need the 'Jehovah-Rophe' the God who heals."
God says, "I will replace ashes with beauty. I will restore the years the locusts have eaten."
The point I want to make is that every need that you have is met in a name of God.
All your needs are met in God.
Quit looking to other people,
Other things,
Other situations,
Other circumstances to meet your needs.
The more you get to know God the more you understand He wants to meet your needs.
Because of who God is;
I don't have to worry,
I don't have to feel guilty,
I don't have to be afraid
I don't have to hurt anymore.
That's good news. It's no wonder when Jesus taught the deciples to pray He said Holy is your name!
Psalm 33:21 "No wonder we are happy in the Lord. We trust in His holy name."
God wants it to be a blessing in your life. We should never use God's name carelessly. We should never use God's name as an expression of anger. We should never use God's name to put down people. God's name is meant to be a blessing not a curse.
We trust God for our needs, our hurts, our stress, our guilt.
Psalm 9:10 says "Those who know your name will trust in you."
Philippians 2 "God has given Jesus the name that is above every other name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord."
But the greatest name for God in my humble opinion is Jesus. The God of the Old Testament is the Jesus of the new Testament.
Jesus is our Provider, our Provision, our Pardon, our Healer.
This morning can you honestly say Jesus Christ is the Lord of my life, if not, you're missing out on His supply, His forgiveness, His peace, and His healing.
Dr Daffy would say It's a package deal, we have it all or we have nothing.
God says, here's how you pray, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name."
It means "God, before I ask You for anything I want to remember who You are. You're my provider,
my healer,
my peace,
my righteousness.
You're all I need. So I'm looking to You as my source.
