Day One Of The 10th Annual End Of Summer Fast & Detox: Who Is God & Your Why

Getting Back To The Basics By Getting To Know God, His Character, & Your Why

I hope your fast and detox are off to a great start! We’re only 24 hours in. Are you already missing what you gave up, or has it been a breeze for you?

For those of you fasting, I hope you’ve decided what you want to meditate on over these seven days, maybe a specific book of the Bible, certain stories, or even a verse that you want to sit with.

I told you before that the number 10 in the Bible represents divine order and completeness. Since this is the 10th Annual End of Summer Fast & Detox, I’ve really been thinking about what it means to get things back in order. For me, that starts with the basics.

Who Is God?

Today, we’re digging into something that sounds simple but is actually so big: Who is God?

Our brains can’t fully comprehend the vastness of God, but Scripture gives us so many glimpses into His character. We get to see who He was to the people throughout the Bible, how He provided, protected, corrected, loved, and revealed Himself. The same God we read about in Scripture is still God today.

That’s one of the things I love about getting into the Word. The more you learn about who God was, the more you begin to recognize who He is in your own life.

I spent my first day of this fast reading Genesis, and honestly, it felt great. I love Genesis because it’s the beginning of the Bible, but it also gives us so many foundational pictures of who God is. We see creation, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah, Hagar, Abraham, and so many other stories.

One thing that really stood out to me is that God is a God of order.

Before He put humanity on the earth, He created the environment for us. He created the light, land, waters, plants, everything. Before He sent the flood He allowed Noah to build an ark. 

That has been sitting with me during this fast because when I say this fast is about getting our environment in order, I’m not just talking about where your feet are.

I’m talking about your mind. Your heart. Your habits. Your relationships. Your priorities. Your spiritual life. Before God created humanity, He established an environment for humanity.

Maybe there’s something about that order that we need to learn from.

Another thing I love about Genesis is the reminder that everything God created was good including humanity. So whenever you feel like your life has no purpose or things feel completely out of order, remember that God created you. You were created in His image, and He called His creation good. We’ll get more into that tomorrow.

Today, I want to stay focused on God.

Getting to Know God Through His Names

When I was a kid, God felt like this big, powerful being somewhere far away. The older I’ve gotten and the deeper I’ve gotten in my relationship with Him, the more I’ve realized that He isn’t this distant God looking down on us. He is with us.

He is powerful, but He is also a friend, a comforter, a provider, a way maker, a healer, and ultimately a loving Father. I think there’s a difference between knowing about God and actually knowing Him.

One of the ways we get to know Him better is by learning His names.

Think about any relationship. When you first meet someone, you probably call them by their first name. But the closer you get, you learn their nicknames, what their family calls them, and the different sides of who they are.

The same thing happens as we get deeper in our relationship with God.

There are so many names and descriptions of God throughout Scripture, and while you don’t have to know every Hebrew name for your prayers to work, I think there is something powerful about knowing who you are calling on and what that name reveals about His character.

So today, I wanted to dig into eight names we see throughout Genesis.

Eight Names of God

Elohim, The Creator and Sovereign God

We first see Elohim in the opening verse of Genesis: “In the beginning, God created,” 

Elohim points us to God as Creator and Sovereign, the One with the power to create, establish, govern, and rule.

So if I need God to create something new in my life, establish something, or govern something that feels outside of my control, this is a name I can call on.

Yahweh, The I AM

Yahweh is a name I remember hearing all the time growing up. I’d hear it in songs and didn’t really understand what it meant.

Yahweh points to the God who is selfexistent, present, faithful, and unchanging.

When God says “I AM,” He is simply declaring who He is. He is present. He is constant. He is faithful.

So when everything around me feels like it’s changing, Yahweh reminds me that God does not.

El Elyon, God Most High

Then there’s El Elyon, which means God Most High.

I love this one because sometimes we can make our circumstances bigger than God. Whatever hill or valley you’re in, whatever feels bigger than you, God is still above it.

He is God Most High.

El Roi, The God Who Sees Me

One of my favorite names is El Roi, and we see this name in the story of Hagar. If you haven’t read Hagar’s story, go read it.

Hagar was in a situation where she was running, hurting, and probably wondering if anyone saw what she was going through. Then she encountered God. She called Him El Roi, the God who sees me.

That one gets me every time, because there are seasons when you don’t feel seen or heard. You can be surrounded by people and still feel completely alone. El Roi reminds me that even when nobody else sees me, God does.

When I don’t feel seen, I can call on El Roi.

Adonai, Lord and Master

Adonai means Lord or Master. This reminds me that God is Lord over everything in my life.

Whatever hill or valley, whatever situation feels too big, God is still Lord over it.

There’s something I’ve had to learn with this one. You can’t call Him Lord while still trying to be lord over everything yourself.

Sometimes you have to surrender. It isn’t until we release control that we really understand what it means for Him to be Lord.

El Shaddai, The All Sufficient God

El Shaddai is often translated as God Almighty or the All Sufficient God. Simply put: God is enough.

He lacks nothing. He has everything we need. When I feel like I’m lacking something, El Shaddai reminds me that God is sufficient.

He is enough.

El Olam, The Everlasting God

El Olam is the Everlasting God. This one feels especially fitting for seasons of waiting and transition. God exists beyond our timeline. He sees beyond what we can see and knows what’s on the other side of our current circumstance.

Sometimes we get so caught up in when something is going to happen that we forget God sees the entire picture. So when you’re waiting, transitioning, or simply don’t understand what God is doing, remember El Olam.

His perspective extends far beyond your current timeline.

Jehovah Jireh, The Lord Will Provide

You’ve probably heard this one in plenty of songs. Jehovah Jireh means “The Lord will provide.”

When I think about El Shaddai, I think about God being sufficient. When I think about Jehovah Jireh, I think about God providing. They work together.

God is sufficient, and He provides.

So when I need God to show up as a provider in my life, Jehovah Jireh is the name I remember. When I need Him to make a way. When I need provision. When I need Him to show up and show out. Jehovah Jireh.

Go Deeper

These are just eight names. There are so many more that you can study, not just during this fast, but long after it’s over.

Today, I want to challenge you to spend some time getting familiar with the names of God.

Write them down. Study what they mean. Read the stories where those names appear.

Ask yourself,

What does this name teach me about God’s character? 

Where have I seen this characteristic of God in my own life?

What part of God’s character do I need to remember in this season?

Before you can really understand yourself, I believe you have to start with the One who created you. We are made in His image. So if you’re struggling with something in your life, go back to the Creator. Get to know Him again. Sometimes getting your life back in order starts with remembering who God is.

For Those of You Detoxing: What’s Your Why?

Now, if you’re detoxing with us but you aren’t fasting, I didn’t forget about you!

Today, we’re getting to the root. I read Everyday Magic by Mattie James, and one thing she talked about was the importance of having a personal mission statement. I created one for myself, and honestly, it has helped me so much.

A mission statement is basically your why.

It’s not your job.

It’s not your relationship status.

It’s not what everyone else expects from you.

It’s about you.

Who are you?

What matters to you?

What are you committed to?

What kind of life are you trying to live?

Having a mission statement has helped me when I start leaning too far to the left or right because I’m looking at what everybody else is doing.

It makes me ask myself, “Am I living my life on purpose?” That’s what I want for you during this detox. Before we start trying to change everything, I want you to get clear on your why.

Create Your Mission Statement

Take some time today and write down:

Who am I?

Think beyond your job, relationship status, or what you do for other people.

What matters most to me?

What values do I want my life to reflect?

What kind of person do I want to be?

What am I committed to?

Then take your answers and turn them into a few sentences that describe the life you are committed to living.

Your mission statement becomes your compass. It helps you say yes to what aligns and no to what doesn’t. In a world that constantly tells us to look at everybody else, compare our lives, and “fake it until we make it,” having a mission statement can bring you back to center.

One Day Down

We’re already one day into the fast and wow. I’ve honestly just been on a high.

Don’t get me wrong, I do miss TV, especially when I’m getting ready for bed.I’m finding other ways to connect with God’s Word.

Since I’m fasting, I’m not just sitting down and reading the Bible. I’m also listening to Scripture throughout the day. I’ll put the Word on while I’m doing other things so it’s constantly in my ears and on my mind.

One of my prayers during this fast has been, God, help me not to just be a reader of Your Word, but a doer of Your Word. Sometimes we can read so much, highlight so much, take notes, listen to sermons, and know all the right things to say, but none of it actually transforms the way we live.

My prayer, not just for me but for all of us fasting, is that during these seven days, the Word would really penetrate our hearts. That it would get into our minds and transform how we think, how we move, how we love, how we make decisions, and how we show up in the world.

One day down.

Six more to go.

Let’s do this thing together.

Worship With Me

I wanted to leave you with a song for today: “Yahweh Will Manifest Himself.”