Did you have to read Shakespeare in high school? If you did, you probably read Romeo and Juliet and remember the famous lines about a name: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” [Act II, Sc. II]
Names are powerful things. In Biblical times, people were given names that conveyed meaning. American surnames came from a man’s trade. The name Smith was given to those who were blacksmiths and the name Tanner was given to one who tanned animal skins. There are many names of God throughout scripture and they hold powerful meanings. Jehovah Jirah means my provider and can be found in Genesis 22:1-19 and John 1:29.
Last night as I met with my small group, someone referred to God as the Way Maker. I love that name for God. He truly is a way maker. My mind immediately went to a song we used to sing in church in the 90s, “God will make a way where there seems to be no way. He works in ways we cannot see. He will make a way for me.”
God has proven this to be an accurate name for Himself throughout scripture and in my life. In Exodus 14:10-30 we read about the Israelites being led by God to the Red Sea. Just as they arrived to the sea, the Israelites appeared on the scene. There appeared to be no way out. To the naked eye, the Israelites were sitting ducks, but God did the unimaginable and parted the Red Sea delivering them from the Egyptians.
In Mark 2:1-12 we read about a paralyzed man who had faithful friends. They wanted to carry him to Jesus, but there was no way for him to get there because the crowd was too great. God spurred these friends to press on until they dug a hole in the rooftop to lower their friend through so he could be healed. This is not your normal way to enter a house, but it worked.
The most profound way God made for anyone was the way He made for everyone through the death of His Son on the cross. In John 14:6 Jesus declared Himself to be the way. “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” Jesus died on a cross for sins He didn’t commit so God could turn His back on His Son for three days to pay the penalty for our sins. Then Jesus rose from the dead securing a place for all of humanity in heaven if we will confess with our mouth Jesus is Lord [Matthew 26-28; Mark 12-16; Luke 22-24; John 13-21 and Romans 10:9].
Where in your life do you need a way provided where there seems to be no way? Are you only looking at what you can do in the situation or have you shifted your eyes to Jesus, the Way Maker? He has a way; he’s simply waiting on you to surrender to Him so He can implement it. Cry out to the Way Maker today. He is able!