Monday, January 25, 2016

Name Above All Names--King of Zion

artwork by Krista Hamrick

artwork by Krista Hamrick




Krista Hamrick’s beautiful original art print, Name Above All Names Alphabet, has so inspired me. Each of the 26 individual Names she has identified are so special, as Krista has intricately painted, almost like stained glass windows, each one with its Scripture reference. Krista has said, This is probably the painting that I have most enjoyed researching, designing, redesigning and painting. Beth Willis Miller has expanded upon each name with devotional word studies. By knowing, believing and trusting who God says He is, we can be confident in who He has created us to be.” I so agree with Krista! 


My heart has been drawn to do a word study for each of the names included in her art print. Krista and I felt led to publish our Name Above All Names Devotional: Focusing on 26 Alphabetical Names of Christ available now on Amazon as a softcover book and as a Kindle book at this link.

Combining the beauty of Krista's artistic excellence with these word study devotionals is perfect for individual quiet reflection or small group Bible studies focusing on the Name Above All Names—Jesus Christ—and His attributes and characteristics



Review by Michele Morin: “The infinite variety in nature, the curious complexity of human behavior, the synchronicity of multiple systems in our own anatomy — and in the solar system — all point, through general revelation, to the nature of God: multi-faceted, magnificent, and yet mysterious. Special revelation in Scripture picks up where creation leaves off, and Beth Willis Miller has teamed up with artist Krista Hamrick to focus on twenty-six pieces of evidence in Name Above All Names Devotional: Focusing on 26 Alphabetical Names of Christ. The result is an alphabetical collection that resembles a twenty-six sided gem, each facet reflecting a slightly different hue of the nature of God the Son. From Alpha and Omega to King of Zion, each devotional highlights the Scriptural basis for the name in multiple translations and then provides commentary on the verses. Beth applies the truth and then invites her readers to join her in a prayer that turns the truth into a paean of praise. No mere academic exercise, the point of Name Above All Names Devotional is threefold:


Look up – Meditate on the name and what it reveals about the character of God.

Look in – I am propelled to ask galvanizing questions about my discoveries: “Because God is ___________________, I should therefore _______________.”


Look out – Let the nature of God impact on every relationship, for your good, and for His glory.


With full-color art work and space for notes, Name Above All Names Devotional is a treasure for devotional reading, a resource for serious study, and a thoughtful and inspiring gift for loved ones.” (review by Michele Morin)
 
I was inspired by Hillsong United’s anointed Zion Acoustic Sessions while studying Psalm 9:11

ERV: Sing praises to the Lord, who sits as King in Zion. Tell the nations about the great things he has done.

Expanded: Sing praises to the Lord who is king on Mount [dwells on] Zion [the location of the Temple]. Tell the nations [among the peoples] what he has done.

NCV: Sing praises to the Lord who is king on Mount Zion. Tell the nations what he has done.

Benson Commentary: "As the special residence of his glory is in heaven, so the special residence of his grace is in his church, of which Zion was a type: there he meets his people with his promises and graces, and there he expects they should meet him with their praises and services. Declare among the people his doings—Not only among the Israelites, but to the heathen nations, that they may also be brought to the knowledge and worship of the true God. Sing praises to the Lord—As the result of these views of his character, and at the remembrance of his doings. The heart of the psalmist is full of exultation and joy at the remembrance of the divine interposition, and he naturally breaks out into these strong expressions, calling on others to rejoice also. Which dwelleth in Zion—As Zion was the place where at this time the tabernacle was set up, and the worship of God was celebrated, it is spoken of as his dwelling-place.
Declare among the people his doings—Make general and wide proclamation of what he has done; that is, make him known abroad, in his true character, that others may be brought also to put their trust in him, and to Praise him."

Pastor John Gill writes: “The psalmist having determined in the strength of grace to praise the Lord himself, and show forth all his marvelous works, and given his reasons for it, both with respect to himself in particular, and with respect to the people of God in general, here calls upon others to engage in the same work; the Lord is not only to be praised, which may be done by celebrating the perfections of his nature, and the works of his hands; by giving him thanks for mercies temporal and spiritual, and by living to his glory; but his praises are to be sung by a modulation of the voice in musical notes, as the word used signifies; where the same word is used of the singing of birds; and this is to be done by the saints jointly, in concert together, as Paul and Silas in prison sang the praises of God; and there is great reason why they should join together in this work, since they share the blessings of divine grace in common together. Jehovah, to whom praises are to be sung, is described as the inhabitant of Zion, the ark and tabernacle being there before the temple was built, which were symbols of the divine Presence. God by his essence and power is everywhere, he fills heaven and earth, and cannot be contained in either; his glorious presence is in heaven; his gracious presence is in his church and among his people; where they dwell he dwells, and where he dwells they dwell: hence the church is called by the same name as the Lord is here, the inhabitant of Zion; and this description of him points out the place where his praises are to be sung, in Zion; who are to sing them, the members of the church; and the reason why, because the Lord dwells in Zion; and is there a refuge for his people, and protects them.”


What does it mean to trust the Lord, the King of Zion? It means looking to Him as the source of our security and putting our faith in the grace, love, power, and protection of God when the inevitable pressures of life come. It means knowing as the psalmist did that as the mountains surround and protect Zion, the city of Jerusalem, God himself surrounds and shields His people. When we trust the Lord, we don’t have to focus on the wicked and what they are doing or might do to us. We don’t have to rehash our own woes. Even though there are problems the size of mountains facing us, we can cry out to the Lord who created the mountains and is able to move them. As we sing praises to Him, and focus on Him and His truth, He will encourage our hearts and help us to tell the nations about the great things He has done!

Lord Jesus, King of Zion, I put my trust in You today. You are my security and protection, my shield, my fortress, and my hiding place, and I sing praises to You. When enemies surround me and troubles multiply, help me to remember that you are ever faithful and that you surround and protect me, both now and forever. Thank You for the free gift of salvation, that we are justified on the basis of Your finished work on the Cross. Thank You that, right now, we are under the completely sufficient imputed righteousness of Christ. Because we have placed our trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ, we are redeemed by Your precious blood. The threat of failure, judgment, and condemnation has been removed. Knowing that God’s love for us and approval of us will never be determined by our performance is the most encouraging promise to which we cling—what great things You have done! In Your mighty Name Above All Names—King of Zion, we pray, amen.

Look Up—meditate on Psalm 9:11

Look In
—as you meditate on Psalm 9:11 pray to see how you might apply it to your life.

Look Out—as you meditate on Psalm 9:11 pray to see how you might apply it to your relationships with others.

* If you liked this post you’ll love this book – Name Above All Names Devotional: Focusing on 26 Alphabetical Names of Christ


Weekly LinkUps…

42 comments:

  1. Amen...Happy New Year Beth...
    I went to your Home Page for this series and bookmarked it for later! This is awesome. How is the compilation going? I hope you keep me updated. Plenty Blessings to you, friend.

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    1. Thank you, Ifeoma...Krista Hamrick and I are working on getting these 26 Name Above All Names studies uploaded with her amazing illustrations onto CreateSpace as a 6" x 9" devotional book. Thank you for your prayers! Many blessings to you ❤️

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  2. Beth, I love this. I'm so intrigued about the many names of the Lord.That's one thing I want to memorize are His names. Thank you for sharing your post with us today.
    Blessings, Christy

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    1. Christy, thank you so much for stopping by! Many blessings to you ❤️

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  3. Loved seeing the pic with ALL the names of God you have been writing about. What wonderful collaboration between you and Krista.May we sing worthy praises to Our King in Zion.

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    1. Thank you, Mary! It is a wonderful blessing to work with Krista on this exciting project...thank you for your prayers and encouragement! Many blessings to you ❤️

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  4. Looking forward to the coloring book! We're neighbors at Jennifer's today!

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    1. Thank you, Susan! That would be a good idea, too...since coloring books are so popular. Krista Hamrick and I are working on a full color book, not a coloring book, which has her beautiful color illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. Many blessings to you sweet friend ❤️

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    1. Thank you so much for stopping by...many blessings to you ❤️

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  6. Gosh how rich and beautiful! The art is magnificent and I just love your study around each scripture! So enriching! Thank you! Visiting from next door today at #smallwonder

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    1. Thank you, Kathy! I appreciate your encouraging words...many blessings to you ❤️

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  7. Thank you for this encouragement tonight. Being reminded that the King of Zion is our source of security is so reassuring. May we all feel His safe and secure arms around us as we walk through our week. Blessings friend!

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    1. Thanks so much for stopping by, Mary! I so appreciate your words of encouragement. Many blessings to you ❤️

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  8. My sweet Beth,
    I thank you most sincerely for the lovely words you left on ~ My little old world ~ as a comment, you're truly so very gentle and delicate !
    I wish you a most beautiful week
    sending love
    Daniela

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    1. Thank you stopping by, Daniela. Many blessings to you ❤️

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  9. "Knowing that God’s love for us and approval of us will never be determined by our performance is the most encouraging promise to which we cling—what great things You have done!" Amen! All from Him and nothing from us! I love this, Beth. And Krista's art work is awesome. Thank you!

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    1. Trudy, thank you so much for your enthusiastic and encouraging comments...I appreciate you taking time to stop by...many blessings to you ❤️

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  10. Dear Beth, I have meant to get back with you before now! Oh, my, I DO apologize, as things have been very busy in our lives, and so much has been going on. You had contacted me about doing an interview with you and talking about your book on our Inner Views interview portion. I would love to move forward with this, if you are still interested. Please contact me and let me know, and if you would like me to read your book first and review it in the interview, we can do that. Or if you prefer to just do the interview we can do it that way. You can email me privately through my blog, and we can communicate that way, if you will. I so look forward to hearing from you, and, again, I apologize for taking so long. It has been on my heart, but we had an out of state death in our family and a lot of other things that we have been dealing with, and I am just now getting to write you back.

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    1. Cheryl, thank you so much for your kind response. I'm so sorry about the loss in you family. I replied to your email, I'd be happy to do the interview without you having to do a book review. Either way is fine with me. Many blessings to you and your family ❤️

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  11. This reminds me of the beautiful phrase in Isaiah 12 that I've fallen in love with: "Shout and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel." He is the King and we are the inhabitants. Beautiful!

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    1. Lisa, I LOVE that Scripture! Thank you so much for stopping by...many blessings to you ❤️

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    1. Yes, Lux. I so agree. Krista Hamrick is an amazing artist. Be sure to visit her website:
      http://www.kristahamrick.com/
      Many blessings to you!

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  13. Blessings, Beth! And thanks for enhancing our worship with this book!

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    1. Michele, you will never know how much your consistent encouragement and wonderful book review have meant to me...you are truly a blessing from the Lord! Many blessings to you and your sweet family!

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  14. I enjoyed reading your post, especially the "what does it mean" portion! I'm visiting today as your neighbor from #livefreeThursday :) God bless you!

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    1. Thank you so much for stopping by from #LiveFreeThursday ... I so appreciate your comments. Many blessings to you!

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  15. Yes, the Lord, our King is our security and protection. There is no need to fear, because He has won the battle. He is our hiding place. Glory to His Name! Blessings to you, Beth! I'm your neighbor at #GiveMeGrace.

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    1. Amen, Gayl...I so agree with you...love that this scripture, Psalm 9:11...911...sings praises to our Lord Jesus Christ for all He has protected us from and all He will protect us from in times of emergency...our True Hiding Place. Many blessings to you!

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  16. Yes. I will continue to look up. I believe with all my heart He sees. Thanks for linking up today Beth. I appreciate it.

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    1. Lisha, thank you so much for taking time to leave your precious words here...many blessings to you and your sweet family!

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  17. Beth, I'm stopping by from #RaRaLinkup as your neighbor. :) Your devotional looks great. I love the reminder to Look Up, Look In and Look Out as I interact with family and others today. Thank you for this!

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    1. Thank you, Jeanne. I so appreciate you stopping by and leaving such an encouraging comment. Many blessings to you!

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  18. Hey - I'm stopping by from Inspire Me Monday. Your book looks like a wonderful idea! Blessings!

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    1. Carol, thank you for your kind comments. Many blessings to you!

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  19. Thanks for sharing with Pin worthy Wednesday Beth

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    1. I appreciate you stopping by, Amber. Many blessings to you!

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  20. I always love reading these posts! Thanks for sharing this at Booknificent Thursday on Mommynificent.com!
    Tina

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    1. Tina, thanks so much for stopping by! Many blessings to you ❤️

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  21. Thank you for sharing it with us on the Art of Home-Making Mondays at Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth! :)

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