There is none like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is great in might. Jeremiah 10:6

Names for God before the birth of Jesus pointed to an all-knowing and all-powerful God. He was called the God Who Sees, The God Who Is My Banner, The God Who Hears, and others. These were enough to give His people comfort and strength. 

With the birth of Jesus, however, came a new kind of understanding. Knowledge of God increased with the new names His Son was given. Immediately after Jesus’ birth, the shepherds were told He was Savior and Emmanuel. As He grew, Jesus revealed Himself as the Bread of Life, the Shepherd, the Son of God, the Vine, the Lamb of God, the Lord of Glory, the Last Adam, and the Precious Cornerstone. Each one gave believers new glimpses into the complex and unfathomable depths of God. They experienced Him through His names because there was a new dynamic in their relationship. Intimacy.

In 2025, we will explore the names of God. One name for every week. We will learn. We will worship. We will stretch our faith to believe the One with such powerful names. And, we will embrace the promises. And at the end of 2025, we will see how we have grown and how many things in our lives have shifted because we climbed to higher ground.

And lastly, this devotional has always been interactive. I’ll share stories along the way and I invite you to do the same. Some, I may ask to share, with your permission, because we gain new strength as we deepen our connection to one another.

I close with a quote from Tim Keller: “To hallow God’s name is not merely to live righteous lives but to have a heart of grateful joy toward God-and even more, a wondrous sense of awe at the majesty and holiness of who He is.”