Lions Football

Lions’ football is back and Superbowl bound… maybe. I’m sure it is a mystery to those who love me how I can be so devoted to the Detroit Lions. Thankfully, to love someone doesn’t mean you have to understand him or her completely. This is good news, because there is no way we can begin to grasp the deep mysteries of the God of heaven.

Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. —Isaiah 46:9

There is one God, whose name is Yahweh. The Hebrew name Yahweh had no vowels. (Later translators added these.) Yahweh is the name given to us by Moses: “I am.” The scribes were forbidden to write the name Yahweh, so they used titles to describe his character. Jehovah Elohim means “LORD the Creator.”

Elohim is one of the most frequently used names for God in the Old Testament. It is this word which is used in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth.” In fact, the name appears 2,750 times.

From Genesis onward, God progressively reveals himself to us. He does this by placing himself in covenant with his creation, he enters into a special relationship and covenant with Abraham. The covenantal promises find their climax and fulfillment in God’s supreme revelation: Jesus Christ. It is in Jesus that we move from a vague understanding of Elohim into a covenantal and relational knowledge of LORD the Creator.

Everything that is made was made by God. Yet, all of his creation points to his one and only son. Some pretty good people have founded religions over the centuries. Yet, they cannot compare to the founder of Christianity. They are all in the category of “good men,” while Jesus is in a category by himself—as God-man.

Jesus alone is Immanuel, God with us, He is the Savior, the lamb who takes away our sins. He is the Messiah, the redeemer of man back to God. Only Jesus could truthfully assert his equality with the father in heaven. “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30). Don’t let anyone fool you. Jesus is not just a good man. He is either God or a lunatic. Claiming to be God, if he is not, makes him crazy.

Every day is a gift… from Elohim. We are not entitled to prosperity. When we feel entitled, it is easy to let that turn into ungratefulness. We have a choice. We can see ourselves as the center of the universe and be disappointed when things don’t go our way, or we can adjust our attitudes and be grateful for each gift with which God blesses us.

 “Who has the mind of the Lord?” No one. Even when we don’t understand him, we know we can trust him. We may not be able to trust the Detroit Lions, but we can trust the LORD our Creator.