S4 Episode #5- Happy New Year with Jes and Bonnie!
THE ONE WITH JES + BONNIE
This week we bring you a very special New Year episode! Jes is joined by dear friend, and Collected Board Member, Bonnie Glass. Bonnie interviews Jes as they reflect on all the characteristics of God that podcast guests have shared throughout the year. They dig deep into one particular name of God, and share the vision for the podcast in 2022.
Thank you for all of your support over the past year; we could not do this without you. We are so excited to see all that God has in store for Collected and each of our listeners over the next year!
Happy New Year!
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Podcast Year in Review
We have spent a lot of time on the show this year talking about who God is. Diving deeper into the aspects of His character that we love about Him as he reveals more and more of who He is. In preparing for this episode, I’ve gone back through the show notes of every episode this year, and I want to remind you in rapid succession of the character traits of God that our guests have highlighted…
GOD IS…
Sustainer
Sufficient
Giver of Grace
Good
Love
Good– all the time
Strength
Working all things out
Provider
Kind
Healer
All-Knowing
Truth
Near and Personal
Funny
Creator
Living and Active
Giver of Freedom
Good
Kind
Infinite
Father
Transcendent– beyond our imaginations
Infinite
Patient
Tender
Extravagant with grace
Security
Steadfast Love
Rest
Freedom
Good
Trust-worthy
Hope
Victory
Always with us
Sovereign
Redeemer
Restorer
Strong
The Light
Gentle
Good
Love
Sovereign
Faithful
Provider
Compassionate
Love
Redeemer
Tender
Present
And as Katie Newberg said in S3E26, “Every character trait is in line with all of the other character traits. He is not powerful without also being good. He is not just without also being merciful. He cannot contradict himself. Any trait that is currently confusing to us, we can still trust because it is in line with everything else we already know.”
El Olam
One of the character traits of God that I have been held very dear this year is EL OLAM– God of Eternity. This name of God is used to describe His everlasting nature. Herbert Lockyer describes this name as being “a term describing what extends beyond our furthest vision, whether we look backward or forward till it is lost to sight.”
We see this name throughout The Bible:
“In the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength” Isaiah 26:4
“Our Redeemer from everlasting is thy name…” Isaiah 63:16
“Jehovah is… an everlasting King” Jeremiah 10:10
“From everlasting to everlasting thou art God” Psalm 90:2
“The everlasting God… the Creator of the ends of the earth” Isaiah 40:28
But the first occurrence is filled with significance for Abraham and I believe for us today. In Genesis 21:33, we read–
“Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God.”
Seems like a simple enough sentence, but what I uncovered here about the character of God here, BLEW ME AWAY!
By the time this is written, Abraham has been living an unsettled, nomadic existence for years. We read throughout Genesis chapters 11-22 that he has moved from Ur to Harran, from Harran to Shechem (in Canaan), from Shechem to Bethel, from Bethel to Egypt, from Egypt back to Bethel, from Bethel to Hebron, from Hebron to Gerar, and now to Beersheba. These cities span hundreds of miles and represent years of change and living in the middle of the unknown.
In Genesis 20:13, Abraham explains to Abimelek (King of Gerar– where Abraham was at the time) that “God had made [Abraham] wander from his father’s household.”
The use of the word “wander” here is the same term that would also have been used in that time for “sheep going astray, for losing their way”. Even when The Lord had his hand in every step of Abraham’s journey, Abraham still struggled with feeling unanchored or rootless. Reaching Beershba was supposed to be the climax of his pilgrimage, and now the king is trying to drive him out.
It’s in this state of weary hopelessness that we find Abraham and it is in this place that God reveals a new name– a new aspect of His character. Abraham was overwhelmed with the world’s insecurity and God revealed that HE is divinely sufficient, HE is the God of Eternity. He has no beginning and He will never cease to be. In the middle of all Abraham’s uncertainty, he came face to face with an Everlasting God who was his true home.
What does this mean for us today? Well, it reminds me that when I am in what feels like a lifetime of waiting, I am actually waiting on The Everlasting God. And in Him I can find everlasting strength and everlasting vitality to face a continually changing world. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He is our one true home.
Let’s quickly circle back to our original verse and look at one other thing that is mentioned…
The Tamarisk Tree
To a Bedouin or a Jew of the Middle East, the saying is this, “you don’t plant a tamarisk tree for yourself, you plant it for generations to come”. It’s a very slow growing tree that can take up to 400 years to grow to full height. In planting this specific tree, it seems that Abraham is putting down roots. He is making a declaration that he believes God will be faithful to fullfil the covenant that they made. That there would indeed be a great nation of Abraham’s descendents who would live to see the full growth of this tree.
Word for 2022– Fire
This Fall my small group at church worked through the study Elijah: Faith and Fire by Priscilla Shirer. It was excellent, and I would highly recommend it!
There is one in Week 5 where Priscilla breaks down significant appearances of fire throughout the Bible.
Exodus 3:1-4 – Moses – the bush did not burn, God spoke!
Exodus 13:20-22– The Israelites– a pillar of fire lit the way, allowing the Israelites to travel through the night
Leviticus 9:23-24 – The presence of The Lord came in fire and consumed the offering
2 Chronicles 7:1-3 – Solomon– dedication of the temple– fire from Heaven consumed the offering and the glory of The Lord filled the temple
1 Kings 18:38– Elijah– God sent fire from Heaven to show HE is the One True God
Throughout the Bible, fire is used to show:
God’s redirection
God’s leading
God’s voice
God’s consuming power
God’s glory and power
“God’s fire draws glorious attention to HIM and HIM ALONE.” - Priscilla Shirer
This is my deep desire for my life and for the podcast in 2022– that all of it would be a fire that draws glorious attention to The Lord, the Everlasting One. It’s all for Him and Him alone.
Prayer
So in light of all this– how should we be approaching God? When we come to Him in prayer, we must first remember His character.
God is everlasting AND He is good— meaning God can do anything AND He has our best interests in mind.. He understands the full picture. His Kingdom priority is what is always best.
My pastor Jonathan Scott recently said, “God always does what I would do if I knew what He knows and if I loved myself as much as He loves me!” Also, God doesn’t just say, “I have what you need.” He says, “I AM what you need.”
So, in a sense, prayer is more about surrender. It’s about getting myself on God’s page, rather than trying to get Him on mine.
When Jesus teaches us how to pray in Matthew 6:5-14, He begins with– “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.”
My desire for this upcoming year is to begin every morning with this prayer:
“Lord, where is your Kingdom coming TODAY and how can I be a part of it?”
I am posting it on my mirror so it will be in my face each morning!
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The Collected Podcast is produced by Jes Biondo and edited by Jacob Early. Cover art designed by Ben Biondo.