Preface to Names and Titles of God

Preface

by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
Audio (--)

Free E-mail Bible Study Experiencing the Psalms

Cutting facets increases accessibility of a diamond's beauty. The famous Koh-i-Noor diamond from the India's alluvial mines, one of the largest cut diamonds in the world at 105.6 carats, was cut with 66 facets in 1862 and currently resides at the Tower of London. Larger image.

Why should we study the names and titles of God? The only adequate motivation I know of to undertake a serious study of the names and titles of God is so that we may come to know God better. To know him more fully is the journey of a lifetime.

Knowing God is like carefully examining a diamond, polishing it so that we can peer into it, and then looking at it from all sides and through its many facets, enjoying its colors, being delighted by its sparkles, and learning to appreciate it fully.

But God is not a beautiful but lifeless diamond. He is the Living God. As we learn his names and meditate on them, we can expect to benefit in at least three ways, all of them closely related:

Our prayer life is enriched. For example, as I've studied about God as my Shepherd, I find myself calling on God in prayer as my Shepherd, trusting him to supply my needs and to guide me.
Our worship is enriched. With a limited vocabulary of praise and a limited understanding of God we are reduced to a kind of hobbled, truncated praise. But as we begin to know more of God's facets, we are able to praise him better. Several passages in the Psalms and Isaiah indicate a joy in naming the titles and metaphors of God before him.
Our faith in and understanding of God is increased. As I study how God provides as a shepherd, I now am able to trust him more fully in this area of my life. Whereas I once had a lot of anxiety about making ends meet, now my trust in God as my Shepherd and Provider bring me confidence, assurance, and joy that was missing before.

While I fully believe that Jesus is the divine Son of God, I have chosen to exclude most of his names and titles from this study, since I treat those fully in another study, Names and Titles of Jesus (JesusWalk Publications, 2016). This study focuses on the names and titles of God the Father.

Available in paperback, PDF, and Kindle formats.

I invite you to join me on a journey, a journey that includes increased knowledge, but goes much deeper, a journey to explore the very heart of God himself. My prayer is that the Psalms will enrich your life and expand the ways you address and worship God.

Ralph F. Wilson
Loomis, California
April 15, 2006

Prayer

Father, guide us as we learn about you through your names, titles, and metaphors that we find in your Word. I pray that you would change our lives, energize our faith, and make us more like you in this process. Help us to know you more fully. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Names and Titles of God

First	Last
E-mail
Country	(2-letter abbreviation, such as US)
Preferred Format	HTML (recommended) Plain text

First Name
Last Name
E-mail
Country	(2-letter abbreviation, such as US)
Preferred Format	HTML (recommended) Plain text

	Joyful Heart Renewal Ministries, Inc. - Dr. Ralph F. Wilson, Executive Director Contributions to Joyful Heart Renewal Ministries, Inc. are tax-deductible. It is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization.
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