Thanksgiving Meditation on the Names of God

Here’s an idea for you as you gather with your family for Thanksgiving this year. Take some time to think about our God—who He is, and what He has done. To get you started here are a few of His names with their meaning and a verse.^[1] In no particular order:

Elohim, God, the Mighty Creator, Supreme Sovereign

• Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning God [Elohim] created the heavens and the earth.

Yahweh, the self-existent, covenant-keeping God (the I AM)

• Exodus 3:14-15 – God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord [Yahweh], the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.’”

Adonai, Lord, Master

• Psalm 8:1 – Lord, our Lord [Adonai], how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens.

El Shaddai, God Almighty, the All-Sufficient One

• Genesis 17:1 – When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty [El Shaddai]; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.

El Elyon, God Most High

• Genesis 14:19 – Blessed be Abram by God Most High [El Elyon], Creator of heaven and earth.

El Olam, the Everlasting God

• Isaiah 40:28 – Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God [El Olam], the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

El Roi, The God Who Sees

• Genesis 16:13 – She [Hagar] gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me, [El Roi]” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”

Endnotes

1. These have been drawn from various web sources. Want to learn more? Try the Names of God series by R.L. Wilson elsewhere on this site, or google “Praying the Names and Attributes of God,” a resource from The Navigators.↑