The name of the Lord

The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
the righteous runs into it and is safe.
Psalm 18:10

El Roi is my favorite name for God. The God who sees. (from Genesis 16) I love that God has seen everything that has brought me to where I am and who I am today. No matter how much I confide in a friend, that person can never really understand. She can't really get it all -- because unless she has 44 years and my memory improves a lot, I can't tell her all. I'm so thankful for long term friends -- friends with whom I don't have to explain so much. I can tell of today and they are able to put my ranting or my raving into the context of who I am and how I've arrived here. That is a gift. But God is the ultimate friend. Not only does He know absolutely everything about me, he's heard every word spoken to me, seen every action around me, and felt what I've felt -- whether I perceived correctly or misinterpreted the circumstances -- He knows how and why I felt like I felt. I just love that.
Perhaps this means that I often feel misunderstood. Hmmmm...hadn't thought of that until this very moment. Hmmmm.
Yesterday I got the *bright* idea to write my own mantra. According to dictionary.com, a mantra is a word or formula, as from the Veda, chanted or sung as an incantation or prayer. I'm not sure what a Veda is (something Hindu...) but the rest works. It will be a stringing together of what I know to be true, something that I can remind myself of when I wake in the morning. This morning I sang "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, there's just something about that name..." in the shower. It's amazingly cleansing and clarifying to simply concentrate on who HE is. Once dried off, I went in mad search of Kay Arthur's book To Know Him By Name. I know that my statement, mantra, must contain El Roi, because I remember that being the name that brought me the most comfort when I studied her book, and I've clung to it ever since.

I'm going to close with Kay's words.

Knowing your God means everything. Everything.
It's the difference between victory and defeat.
It's the difference between rest and constant turmoil.
It's the difference between an abundant overflowing life and a life of barren emptiness.
It's the difference between deliverance and captivity.
It's the difference between finding a refuge and living as a fugitive.
It's the difference between life and death.
It's the difference between heaven and hell.

Kay Arthur believes that every problem in our lives can be traced back to an inadequate or incorrect understanding of who God is.

Some boast in chariots, and some in horses;
but we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God.
Psalm 20:7