Most of us have a number of different roles or titles by which we’re known—parent, child, student, coworker, teammate, spouse, friend, for example. Each of them sheds some light on part of our life.
Throughout Scripture, God is described using many different names and titles—literally hundreds. Some of the better-known ones include King (Psalm 95), Shepherd (Psalm 23), Healer (Exodus 15), Provider (Genesis 22), and Father (Romans 8).
This abundance of names and titles gives us clues about His character. In the culture of biblical times, a name wasn’t so much an identifier as something that pointed to the identity of a person. God’s different names tell different stories and offer insight into different facets of who He is.
As Christians, we strive to become more like God. The names we give Him help us relate to Him and understand Him. Understanding someone is often key to building a strong relationship with them. And a strong, intimate relationship is exactly what God seeks to have with each one of us.
“Come to me,” Jesus says, “all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”1
Jesus’ invitation is to all. It doesn’t matter where we’ve been or what we’ve done—we can give our burdens to Him and “find rest.” We can call upon His name and receive answers.2 This issue invites us to draw closer to Him by getting to know Him better.