(Genesis 2:4) The LORD God.

How do we know anything about God?

Do we discover Him by meditating under a tree?

No!

Do we figure Him out through the formulation of mathematical equations?

No!

Do we stumble upon Him through philosophical discussions and abstract metaphysical speculation?

No! No! No!

How can the finite—us—discover the infinite—God?

We can’t!

God’s eternal being and actions are a mystery to our human minds.

One way we know God is when He tells us His “name.”

God’s name is not like Joe or Pete.

His personal name describes who He is—His attributes and His character.

In Genesis 2:4, we read, “LORD God.”

The word “God” is generic, but “LORD” reveals who He is.

In Hebrew, God is the LORD (YHWH).

Yahweh (LORD) means “I AM.”

Yahweh is eternal.

He has no beginning or end.

Yahweh is self-existent.

His existence depends on nothing outside of His own nature.

Yahweh is unchanging.

He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Yahweh is always near, intimate, and present with us.

When you read LORD (in all capital letters) in our English Bibles, it emphasizes that we serve and worship a God who is eternal, self-existent, unchanging, and always present with us.

Yahweh is the great “I AM.”

When we are anxious, remember that the LORD is present.

He is not like the changing wind.

He is our refuge in times of trouble.

The LORD is our rock and our salvation!

The great “I AM” is always present with us to act on our behalf!

No matter what happens today, remember that the LORD is always with us, near to us, and always for us—never against us.