David Uth: Names of God show facets of His character

DAYTONA BEACH (FBW)—Looking to past convention meetings, David Uth told messengers to the Florida Baptist State Convention annual meeting in Daytona Beach Nov. 12 that what he needed most during those times of fellow­ship was love and encouragement.

Growing up in a Baptist church, Uth said he learned quickly to hide all signs of discouragement and "fake" being content, plastering a smile on his face.

"I don't know what books you've been reading," said Uth, pastor of First Baptist Church in Orlando. "But God's people get discouraged."

As one who has swam in the baptistry and told his mother the juice used for communion tasted better than store juice because it was "special," Uth said "there's a great danger when the holy things become common—and it happens when we're hurting. We lose the way."

Uth recalled a time when he was so tired and discouraged that he wrote his resignation letter. He walked into the church that Wednes­day night not caring what they sang or what anybody thought, Uth recalled.

A retired helicopter pilot had taken over for the music minister that night and the first hymn he chose was "Love Lifted Me".

"That night I saw a dimension of God I had never seen," Uth remembered, quoting phrases from the classic hymn.

Looking back at stories in the Bible, Uth said God reveals part of his character during times of crisis. The names of God come during incredible times of need, Uth continued. God can fulfill those needs through His healing and power, illustrating God's character through two of His Hebrew names.

God is Jehovah Rapha-God Who Heals, Uth said first.

Reading from Exodus 15:22-27, Uth spoke of how the Israelites—only three days after walking through the parted Red Sea—came to a well they named Marah because the water was bitter. Thirsty, the people complained to Moses, who then cried out to God.

God showed Moses a log or tree and told him to throw it into the water, Uth read. The water became sweet and God made a promise to the people that if they would heed His commandments He would keep from them the diseases with which He had afflicted the Egyptians because He is "the Lord that heals—Jehovah Rapha."

Referring to the Israelites' encounter with the bitter waters, Uth said sooner or later everyone comes to a place of bitterness.

Telling the story of a friend who was in a car accident with his wife on their way home, Uth said an 18-wheeler hit their car, causing it to explode. Unable to pull his wife from the car, Uth's friend stood helplessly as his wife burned to death.

Uth said he would never forget what his friend later told him.

"Life really is fair. Sooner or later it breaks everybody," Uth re­called his friend saying.

Believers must learn to build their faith on God's character not His miracles, Uth said.

When the Israelites came to Marah and be­­gan doubting God and complaining to Mo­ses, they were only three days from witnes­sing the miracle of God parting the Red Sea, Uth said. The Israelites had built the foun­dation of their faith on God's miracles—on what they saw—rather than trusting in God's character in the midst of their difficulties.

The names of God anchor faith to His character, revealing it to believers, Uth said. Regardless of circumstances, God's character does not change.

"[God] shouts to us in our pain. He whispers to us in our pleasure," Uth quoted C.S. Lewis. "It might be that you're walking through a bitter time right now," Uth continued. "God is wanting to show you a picture of Him. He's wanting you to see something that you've never seen in His character."

Referring to the story of when Jesus calmed the storm and His disciples asked, "Who is this?" Uth said there are things about God you can't know until you go through a storm. Through the storm, Jesus' disciples learned God is El Shaddai—God Almighty—and also a God who shelters and protects.

As well as meaning "God Almighty," El Shaddai is built on a word that means, "breast," Uth said.

"There's a combination of two concepts that is unbelievable," Uth said, referring to the name El Shaddai. "On the one side is an Almighty God. On the other side is a nursing mother."

This combination shows the power of the Creator, Uth said, but also shows how He is the Comforter carrying lambs close to his heart.

Referring back to the name "Jehovah Rapha," Uth said the word, "rapha" is not about just physical healing, but about binding the broken—emotionally, spiritually, psychologically, and physically.

God can turn the bitter waters sweet, Uth said. He did it through Moses throwing a log or tree into the water and He did it again using a different "tree" through Jesus dying on the cross, Uth said.

In 1 Peter 2:24, Peter uses the same word translated "tree" in Exodus for the word, "cross," Uth said.

Comparing the Exodus picture of a tree turning the bitter water into sweet to the Gospel picture of Christ taking the bitterness and sin of the world into Himself on the cross, Uth said Jehovah Rapha-and His healing-is at the foot of the cross.

"By his stripes we are healed," Uth quoted from scripture.

Closing in prayer, Uth asked God to bring those present into the shadow of the cross, that He would bring healing and refreshment to them and show His character as Jehovah Rapha.