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by Bill Lawrence, President of Leader Formation International 

David first knew God as Elohim YAHWEH, the LORD God from the beginning, from Genesis 1-2, because that is how Moses revealed God to Israel and to David—and to us. We know Him from Genesis 1-2.
 
In Genesis 1 Moses revealed Him as Elohim, the Creator of all in seven days, the Maker of what exists from the heavens and the earth to man. There were states of reality, the core essence that first came into being with no detail, nothing about how we relate to Him or to each other, only that we are.

In this reality God is the Maker of all, the All-Powerful Sustainer of all, the Ruler of all. At this point, there is no relationship, only simple facts of existence. So we worship Him in His power and honor Him in His glory and depend on Him in His resources. He means everything to us.
 

Yes, He is the all-powerful One, the Sovereign Lord, the One who is over all, the One who created universe after universe, Thus it is that we are radically desperately dependent on Him, over us, but distant from us, not really engaged with us.
 
Then in Genesis 2 we learn to know Him as YAHWEH, the One who relates to us, who reaches out to us, who sustains us, who gives us our very lives, who is sovereign over us, but in a close, , engaging, relating way. He knows us and wants to relate to us in a reach and warm way. That’s what being LORD means to us; not the Boss but the One who cares for us and wants to relate to us, who meets with us at the end of a demand-int day and talk about our lives with us. So David knew Him as the One who worked in his life, who sustained him, who directed him, who protected him, who loved him and had a plan for him if only he would obey him. And He is the same for you.
 
Though He is our Boss, He is far more than that to us. Lord means superior, over us, ruler, in charge of us, the one who tells us what to do and expects us to do what we’re told to do, what we should have done, who holds us accountable, and who comes down on us when we fail to do it. While that is true, the concept of LORD, YAHWEH, as found in the Scripture is far more than this. It is superior, but it is also relational, caring, passionate, compassionate, full of understanding, patient, and also demanding, accountable, expecting, and requiring. Yet it is also providing, meeting needs, understanding, Patient yet holding accountable. There are no excuses yet there is gentleness and long kindness. There is an amazing thoughtfulness as well as a firmness that ultimately refuses to accept excuses. There is patience but also utter expectation when explanations are simply coverups for willful laziness.
 
The LORD is your Shepherd even as He was David’s Shepherd. He has a purpose for you, a plan for you, a hope for you, even when it appears that there is no purpose or plan or hope for you when you are confused and uncertain about your life. Trust Him today. YAHWEH is your Shepherd. Trust Him for your life even though you may not know where you are going or what you are going to do, when all you can see is darkness and even death He is still for you and with you and most of all He loves you. Know that He loves you no matter what you face! After all, Jesus died for you. Yes, and rose from the dead as well. And remember, only the shadow of death and not death can itself can ever touch all of us who trust Him.

By Bill Lawrence - President Leader Formation International

Exodus 3:1-9

How do you respond in times of struggle and stress? Do you turn to YAHWEH in moments of tension and fear? Are you facing such times in 2023? Do you trust the LORD or do you complain to Him and resent Him because you feel He fails you and believe He has deserted you? Is YAHWEH truly your Shepherd or do you feel you have to take care of yourself? Perhaps you are like Moses having run for your life and have no way out or maybe like Israel caught up in slavery in some unescapable control. You may even think He has failed you and you are on your own. Yet this could be the time when you discover the amazing sovereign LORD is for you because He has come to deliver you if only you will trust Him!

Turn now and seek Him to discover if He has come to set you free and give you a new life.

Stop! Stop complaining. Stop crying out to those around you. Stop griping to God. Be silent. Be still. Realize that you are approaching the Holy God, the sinless LORD, the pure Sovereign Spirit, the Son of God who took up the cross for you. It is time to be still and listen through His word. Do not even confess. Just be silent and still and listen for what He has to say when He speaks. It is enough that He will speak to you. Who are you that He would say a word to you? Why does the Creator of all that is bother with us? Yet He does if only you will be still and listen. Could there be a burning bush in your life? Some way YAHWEH is striving to get your attention? Is there anything you have missed? Look and see.

Think about that. Be still. Listen. There might be.

That’s all. Be still. Listen.

by Bill Lawrence, President of Leader Formation International
 

Think of it.

YAHWEH is MY Shepherd.

The Creator of the universe, the Covenant maker, the Cross bearer is MY Shepherd.

How can it be that the One who made multiple universes, who created Man, who brought nations into being, who established major covenants, who lay in a manger, who bore the cross, who arose from the dead, is MY Shepherd? He cared for me when no one else cared for me. I, had neither mother nor father until I was five years old, had no money, and possessed little or nothing for many years of my life. I had no possessions, those who cared for me only had what we needed from week to week, yet He guided me through green meadows and along still waters and even through the valley of the shadow of death in and out again into wonderful meadows and canyons into blessed places of life. That is still true even now during these many years. How can that be? How can the sovereign YAHWEH be MY Shepherd? And YOUR Shepherd too. No one is greater than OUR Shepherd.

Yet He is.

He is radically committed to me and is guiding me through time into eternity. And He does the same for you if you have put your faith in Him. Do you know that? Do you live with that reality in your heart? Are you seeking His guidance? Are you trusting Him for eternal life? Are you calling for His wisdom through His word and from others who seek Him out?  Do you count on Him as YOUR Shepherd? Do you say,

YAHWEH is MY Shepherd?

Is this true of you today?

I AM Who I AM

by Bill Lawrence, President Leader Formation International

Psalm 23:1; Ex 3:14

YAHWEH is His name.

I AM is from eternity to eternity. He has no beginning and no end. He simply is I AM.

No one has formed Him. He has neither mother nor father. He created all mothers and fathers. They didn’t create Him. No one created Him. As He said to Moses, I am who I am. I am I AM.

He is the Maker of all His covenants. That is how we know Him. This is how we depend on Him. He never changes. He is holy. Righteous.  Pure. Without evil. What He says He will do. He never breaks a promise. He never fails a covenant. He keeps His word. I AM is ours. He is always with us. At times He may wait until the last minute, even the last moment, even the last mili-second, but He will do what He says He will do without holding back or turning aside or failing to keep His word. Count on Him  even when you can’t see what I AM is doing. He will deliver. He is always acting for your benefit. Trust Him always.

The biggest problem you have with Him is that you want Him to do things He never said He would do. You become ANGRY when you expect Him to do what He never planned to do or said He would do. You demand that He keep promises He never made and you become furious when you claim He failed you when I AM is doing everything He promised He would do for you and never does anything He did not promise to do. Learn to know what His promises are, not what your desires are. There are major differences between His promises and your demands. It’s interesting that your demands often mean more to you than His promises. Why is that?

Trust Him! Yahweh—I AM—is His name. I AM is who He says He is. He does what He says He will do. ALWAYS!

By Bill Lawrence, President of Leader Formation International

There’s only one LORD who is my Shepherd today and every day. That is a decision I have made and a decision I believe you must make the same decision today.

There is no other LORD. There’s no other lord like THE LORD. There may be many Lords in many places, but only one LORD in time and eternity!

You cannot look at any other LORD that you can point out as my Shepherd. It’s not like there’s some other lord that’s like this LORD. No other lord matches Him. There are other lords who claim to be equal to Him or that you make lord over you, but you cannot point to another lord and say he or she is my LORD and speak the truth. That is a false appointment. When we do that we am creating another LORD, an idol, a false leader who meets false needs and makes us successful only to lead us into eternal emptiness. That lord will fail, and your—our—commitment will fail. There is only one who can be THE LORD, and we must turn to Him and Him alone.

When Jesus called Peter Satan He wasn’t merely saying words. He was making a serious statement. He was saying that Peter was blinded by Satan and missing our LORD’s true identity. If Peter could be blinded by Satan in a moment of darkness, couldn’t we or some we serve?

So how are you doing with this false claim if you have done this? Are you giving yourself to some false LORD? Why are you doing this? Does this false LORD claim to give you some form of success, some wealth, some position of power? When that happens, and that does happen, sooner or later you will have emptiness and futility and failure and shame. Do you recognize this and turn from it to THE true LORD? Or hide it and act is if it’s not there? Know what you have done before it’s too late.

What about today? Who is your LORD today?

Is THE LORD your LORD today?