God's Resume

God’s Resume

By Jan Hogle

Editor’s Note: Jan Hogle penned the beautiful piece that follows from a profound place of sorrow. She had just laid her husband of 56 years to rest after a hard-fought battle with stage 4 terminal lung cancer. Jan entered a flurry of activity and spent weeks planning and preparing a befitting memorial service for Lt Gen Walter (“Woody”) S. Hogle Jr. As the demands of putting on this large event settled down and friends and family returned home, the reality of widowhood set in. Jan was now living alone. At times, it seemed her grief would become unbearable, but after a lifetime of seeing God’s faithfulness, Jan knew God was with her. A devotional email from her former pastor gave her an idea. From resume courses she had taught to women, Jan used her skills to write a resume that includes work history and experience no one else can ever claim. As these words poured from her, grief turned to worship, where Jan experienced the magnificence of our God in a new and unique way.

Objectives

Seeking to have My name (character, attributes, and works) and especially My trustworthiness as Lord and Savior known and experienced by all peoples of all times and of all tribes, tongues, and nations, resulting in a new and holy people populating a new and holy heaven and earth.

Qualified By

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and end of all history and all creation. I am One Eternal Being but exist as three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. My ways and wisdom are higher than anyone who has ever or will ever live. My power and My perfection are beyond the ability of humans to understand. But My highest qualification, which makes Me completely trustworthy, is My love for all creation, especially mankind. It is a never-ending, undeserved, redeeming, transforming love.

Selected Accomplishments

• Created the universe and all that it contains

• Created in a unique way both men and women in My own image and with the body, mind, will, and heart to know Me, to rule over the earth, and to accomplish great things

• Continually sustain and hold together the universe

• Provided a perfect plan and a perfect Person, My own beloved Son, to rescue mankind when they refused to know Me and chose to go their own way

Eternal Work Experience

• Elohim: Creator, Mighty, and Strong

• El Shaddai: God Almighty

• Adonai: Lord

• YHWH: Lord

• Yahweh-Jireh: The Lord Will Provide

• Yahweh-Rapha: The Lord Who Heals

• Yahweh-Nissi: The Lord Our Banner

• Yahweh-M’Kaddesh: The Lord Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy

• Yahweh–Shalom: The Lord Our Peace

• Yahweh-Elohim: Lord God

• Yahweh-Tsidkenu: The Lord Our Righteousness

• Yahweh-Rohi: The Lord Our Shepherd

• Yahweh-Shammah: The Lord Is There

• Yahweh-Sabaoth: The Lord of Hosts

• El Elyon: Most High

• El Roi: God of Seeing

• El Olam: Everlasting God

• El Gibhor: Mighty God

Contact Information

Required Primary Method (i.e., Start Here): Through accepting and surrendering to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him’” (John 14:6-7). “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9b).

Follow-On Methods:

• Through prayer. “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth” (Psalm 145:18).

• Through the study of God’s Word. “With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:10-11).

• Through gathering regularly with other believers. “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25 NLT).

• Through faith and trust. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

References

To Whom It May Concern (i.e., all those wondering if God is real and trustworthy):

I have known God for almost fifty years. I was introduced to Him in a powerful way during an intense time of trying to figure out the meaning and purpose of my life. Though I had heard of Him, I had never experienced Him as at all relevant to my life. With a tiny bit of faith, I asked Him to show me His reality and trustworthiness. Over the years, He has proven to be not only real and trustworthy but the very ground of my being. In Him, I have found the meaning and purpose of life I so craved.

Recently, my husband of 56 years completed a 16-month hard battle with cancer. During this time, God repeatedly proved His trustworthiness, including bringing my husband to a much deeper understanding of what it means to experience the powerful and loving presence of the One who is the Creator and Sustainer of all life. Who—through His Son Jesus Christ—provides not only abundant living but also victory over our biggest enemy: death.

In the severest trial of my life, I wondered if my faith in God would wobble. It did. But God’s faithfulness to me and my husband never did. He has proved Himself to be all I hoped for and much more. I would and do stake my life on His reality and trustworthiness.

Respectfully,

Jan Hogle