The Lord of Hosts (Amos 4:13)
By Jennifer Waddle
Today’s Bible Verse - For behold, He who forms mountains, and creates the wind, who declares to man what his thought is, and makes the morning darkness, who treads the high places of the earth—The Lord God of hosts is His name. - Amos 4:13, NKJV
As we read through different Bible books and passages, it’s easy to overlook certain words or phrases, especially when they occur repetitively.
In a recent Bible study, the title “Lord of Hosts” came up in our text and was emphasized several times within a few verses. It caused us to stop and consider the significance of this title and learn what it meant. From our research, we discovered that the Lord of Hosts is used more than 250 times in the Old Testament and means God of armies. This can refer to angel armies, human armies, and even the heavenly hosts, such as sun, moon, and stars. In a nutshell, The Lord of Hosts emphasizes that God is sovereign over all.
The incredible thing is, God not only rules over heaven and earth, He communes with us and invites into His presence. The thought of God commanding angel armies to fight for us, yet, at the same time, reaching down in sweet fellowship with us, is both awe-inspiring and humbling.
“For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.” - Psalm 91:11
"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.” - Psalm 34:7
This awesome picture of God orchestrating heaven’s armies to surround us and protect us shows the amazing nature of our loving, powerful, and personal Lord. And as we stand in awe and wonder of the Lord of Hosts, we know that one day we will join Him in heaven and live with Him forever.
I pray this is a great encouragement to you today, as you are reminded of God’s sovereignty and intimacy with His creation. For our God is not too far removed or too busy ruling the universe to interact with us. Instead, He dwells within us by His Spirit, comforting, guiding, and protecting.
As you read through Old Testament passages and come across the title, Lord of Hosts, pause for a moment and thank God for His absolute authority and His involvement in your personal life. After all, it is nothing short of amazing.
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for being our Sovereign God and our personal Lord. We are amazed by You! We give You all the glory, honor, and praise, as we declare Your name—the Lord of Hosts. Thank You for commanding angel armies to fight for us. We stand under the covering of Your grace and provision. You are an incredible God and we love You with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength—in Jesus’ holy name.
Amen.
Jennifer Waddle is the author of Prayer WORRIER: Turning Every Worry into Powerful Prayer, and is a regular contributor for LifeWay, Crosswalk, Abide, and Christians Care International. Jennifer’s online ministry is EncouragementMama.com where Discouragement Doesn’t Win. She resides with her family near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains—her favorite place on earth.
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