Elohim - Our Creator
By Ryan Dawson
Names really matter. When I was 17, I spent a year in Nigeria on a Rotary Youth Exchange, and one of the things I learned was how deeply significant names can be in Nigerian tribal culture. A name was more than a label; it could speak prophetically into a child’s life. When our daughter Rebekah was born, my Nigerian host mother, my Auntie Fola, gave her a beautiful Yoruba name: Ayodele, meaning “Joy has come to this house.” The day that Rebekah was born was truly a joyful day, and I have always loved the way that this African name captures something of what Rebekah’s arrival meant to us. Names matter so much because they are connected to identity.
That is especially true when it comes to the names God reveals for Himself. Throughout Scripture, God uses different names to reveal His character and help us understand who He is. One of those names appears in the very first verse of the Bible: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 NLT
The Hebrew word for “God” here is Elohim, which means our Mighty Creator. And I love that the Bible begins here. Before we think about what God can do for us, we are reminded of who He is. He is the God who speaks and light appears, who brings order out of chaos, and who brings beauty and life out of nothing.
When I look at creation, I am continually amazed by its beauty and goodness. There is something about a star-filled sky, a beautiful sunset, a forest, a lake, the sound of rain, or even the laughter of a child that makes us stop and recognize that the world is more than a collection of random accidents.
Creation has a way of pointing beyond itself. It whispers to us that there is a Creator who is powerful, creative, generous and good. And Genesis tells us repeatedly that God looked at what He had made and called it “good”. The goodness we see in creation reflects something of the goodness of its Creator.
But as beautiful as creation is, life doesn't always feel beautiful. Sometimes our lives feel much more like Genesis 1:2 “formless, empty and dark”. Psalm 102 is the prayer of someone who knows what that feels like. The Psalmist is overwhelmed, exhausted, discouraged and desperate for God to hear him. For this writer, life has become chaotic.
I wonder if you can relate? Maybe things haven't turned out the way you hoped. Maybe you're facing health concerns, relationship struggles, grief, disappointment, uncertainty or a future you can't quite see. What I love about the psalm is that the writer doesn't pretend everything is okay. He brings his chaos honestly to God, and he lifts his eyes beyond his circumstances and remembers Elohim: “Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands… But you are always the same; you will live forever.” Psalm 102:25, 27 NLT
The psalmist looks at his unstable life, and he remembers where his stability truly rests. He remembers that although his strength is waning and his life feels fragile, His eternal God is strong and constant. And that gives us such perspective. If God can establish the foundations of the earth, He can be our foundation when everything around us feels unstable. If He can speak light into darkness, He can also bring light into ours. That doesn't mean God will always change our circumstances in the way we want, but it means His presence, in our circumstances, will change everything.
And we know God is present because the Creator came into His creation. Jesus, the Creator, became the creature. The One who spoke light into existence stepped into our darkness. He entered the chaos of human sin and suffering and, on the cross, cried out: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Mark 15:34 NLT Jesus entered the deepest darkness so that you and I could be brought into the light of God's love. He took our sin and shame upon Himself and died in our place. And because God is the Creator, I can trust Him with my chaos.
So, whatever you are carrying today, trust your Creator God. Trust Him to bring order from chaos and light from darkness. When you feel weak, remember that the everlasting Creator “gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless” (Isaiah 40:29 NLT).
Speak life into your circumstances through the promises of God. It is so easy to let fear and negative self-talk become the loudest voices in our lives. Instead, remind yourself who you are in Christ and hold onto the promises of God, which are all “Yes and Amen” in Christ.
And finally, remember that the Creator made you in His image and gave you a purpose. He has made you to be creative and He has placed you in this world to bring life, hope, beauty and love into places of brokenness. There is so much chaos in our world, but God sends us as His people into this chaos so we can be the hands and feet of Jesus.
So, take a moment today to notice the beauty of creation, the sky, the trees, the water, and the ordinary goodness that surrounds you. And let it remind you of our Creator. He is the One who called creation “good” and He is still at work bringing His goodness into our broken world.
And Elohim, our Mighty Creator, is worthy of our trust. So, whatever chaos you are carrying today, bring it to God. Lean on Him and trust Him with everything. And remember that the Creator is still creating, still restoring, still bringing life, and still making all things new.
Grace and Peace, Ryan
Names really matter. When I was 17, I spent a year in Nigeria on a Rotary Youth Exchange, and one of the things I learned was how deeply significant names can be in Nigerian tribal culture. A name was more than a label; it could speak prophetically into a child’s life. When our daughter Rebekah was born, my Nigerian host mother, my Auntie Fola, gave her a beautiful Yoruba name: Ayodele, meaning “Joy has come to this house.” The day that Rebekah was born was truly a joyful day, and I have always loved the way that this African name captures something of what Rebekah’s arrival meant to us. Names matter so much because they are connected to identity.
That is especially true when it comes to the names God reveals for Himself. Throughout Scripture, God uses different names to reveal His character and help us understand who He is. One of those names appears in the very first verse of the Bible: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 NLT
The Hebrew word for “God” here is Elohim, which means our Mighty Creator. And I love that the Bible begins here. Before we think about what God can do for us, we are reminded of who He is. He is the God who speaks and light appears, who brings order out of chaos, and who brings beauty and life out of nothing.
When I look at creation, I am continually amazed by its beauty and goodness. There is something about a star-filled sky, a beautiful sunset, a forest, a lake, the sound of rain, or even the laughter of a child that makes us stop and recognize that the world is more than a collection of random accidents.
Creation has a way of pointing beyond itself. It whispers to us that there is a Creator who is powerful, creative, generous and good. And Genesis tells us repeatedly that God looked at what He had made and called it “good”. The goodness we see in creation reflects something of the goodness of its Creator.
But as beautiful as creation is, life doesn't always feel beautiful. Sometimes our lives feel much more like Genesis 1:2 “formless, empty and dark”. Psalm 102 is the prayer of someone who knows what that feels like. The Psalmist is overwhelmed, exhausted, discouraged and desperate for God to hear him. For this writer, life has become chaotic.
I wonder if you can relate? Maybe things haven't turned out the way you hoped. Maybe you're facing health concerns, relationship struggles, grief, disappointment, uncertainty or a future you can't quite see. What I love about the psalm is that the writer doesn't pretend everything is okay. He brings his chaos honestly to God, and he lifts his eyes beyond his circumstances and remembers Elohim: “Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands… But you are always the same; you will live forever.” Psalm 102:25, 27 NLT
The psalmist looks at his unstable life, and he remembers where his stability truly rests. He remembers that although his strength is waning and his life feels fragile, His eternal God is strong and constant. And that gives us such perspective. If God can establish the foundations of the earth, He can be our foundation when everything around us feels unstable. If He can speak light into darkness, He can also bring light into ours. That doesn't mean God will always change our circumstances in the way we want, but it means His presence, in our circumstances, will change everything.
And we know God is present because the Creator came into His creation. Jesus, the Creator, became the creature. The One who spoke light into existence stepped into our darkness. He entered the chaos of human sin and suffering and, on the cross, cried out: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Mark 15:34 NLT Jesus entered the deepest darkness so that you and I could be brought into the light of God's love. He took our sin and shame upon Himself and died in our place. And because God is the Creator, I can trust Him with my chaos.
So, whatever you are carrying today, trust your Creator God. Trust Him to bring order from chaos and light from darkness. When you feel weak, remember that the everlasting Creator “gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless” (Isaiah 40:29 NLT).
Speak life into your circumstances through the promises of God. It is so easy to let fear and negative self-talk become the loudest voices in our lives. Instead, remind yourself who you are in Christ and hold onto the promises of God, which are all “Yes and Amen” in Christ.
And finally, remember that the Creator made you in His image and gave you a purpose. He has made you to be creative and He has placed you in this world to bring life, hope, beauty and love into places of brokenness. There is so much chaos in our world, but God sends us as His people into this chaos so we can be the hands and feet of Jesus.
So, take a moment today to notice the beauty of creation, the sky, the trees, the water, and the ordinary goodness that surrounds you. And let it remind you of our Creator. He is the One who called creation “good” and He is still at work bringing His goodness into our broken world.
And Elohim, our Mighty Creator, is worthy of our trust. So, whatever chaos you are carrying today, bring it to God. Lean on Him and trust Him with everything. And remember that the Creator is still creating, still restoring, still bringing life, and still making all things new.
Grace and Peace, Ryan