The Lord

The different names by which God is referred to in the scriptures come with different rings and feelings. Perhaps one reason why we sometimes view God in a fearful way and forget that he loves us with mercy and everlasting kindness (Isaiah 54:8) is because of our experiences with learning about or interacting with various "lords" in our lives.

For example, we have landlords, which might have a reputation of being disinterested, unforgiving, and strict. We learn about lords in history who let underlings live as long as they didn't mess up. But really, at the heart of the word "Lord" is the idea that God is in control of all things and has all power. We often think of Him as "lording" over us, but we ought to consider more often that perhaps the reason he loves to introduce himself to people as "I, the Lord" is not because he wants to scare, intimidate, or subordinate us as much as that he wants to remind us that He has power over all of the enemies, challenges, and chaos in our life.

Jesus Christ is the Lord who can cause the water and winds of a great storm to be still, who can confound our enemies, and who can consecrate our affliction for our gain and make all things be for our experience and good. We need not fear, because the Lord God is our Lord God and rules over all the earth.