Knowing God as Adonai and El Roi - Pastor Gino Bryant

Sep 05, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: When Surrender Makes God Responsible

Yielding completely to God shifts life’s burdens from our shoulders to His. Like Abraham declaring “Adonai,” this isn’t passive resignation but active trust in divine oversight. Surrender dismantles the illusion of control, inviting God to orchestrate outcomes beyond human calculation. It transforms anxiety into anticipation, knowing the One who holds time itself also holds our tomorrows. True freedom begins when we stop clinging to backup plans and embrace His leadership. [04:44]

“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
(Romans 10:9, NKJV)

Reflection: What area of your life feels heaviest to manage alone? How might surrendering it to Adonai shift your posture from striving to resting?

Day 2: Facing Battles With Heaven’s Commander

Joshua’s encounter with the sword-wielding stranger redefines victory. This isn’t about recruiting God to our cause but aligning with His eternal campaign. The drawn sword signals active engagement, not takeout delivery. Like Joshua removing sandals, we shed self-reliance to join a battle plan written before the walls existed. True strength comes not in mustering courage but kneeling in reverence. [16:56]

“And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, ‘Are You for us or for our adversaries?’ So He said, ‘No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’”
(Joshua 5:13-14, NKJV)

Reflection: Where are you demanding God join your fight instead of reporting for duty in His? How does His “no” in Joshua 5:14 recalibrate your perspective?

Day 3: When Manna Stops and Harvests Begin

God’s provision shifts forms as seasons change. Israel traded wilderness manna for Canaan’s crops—a transition requiring trust in new nourishment. Like Elijah’s drying brook, these shifts feel like loss but signal advancement. Clinging to yesterday’s miracles blinds us to today’s open doors. Each season’s bread trains us to discern the Provider behind the provision. [14:19]

“Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year.”
(Joshua 5:12, NKJV)

Reflection: What “manna” have you depended on that God might be replacing? How does His past faithfulness strengthen you for this transition?

Day 4: The God Who Sees Your Hidden Chapter

Hagar’s desert cry birthed El Roi—the God who sees. Her story proves no heartache escapes divine notice. When others dismiss our pain as drama or consequences, God names it sacred ground. Being seen doesn’t always mean immediate rescue, but it guarantees eternal witness. His vision penetrates isolation, turning wastelands into meeting places. [31:01]

“Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, ‘Have I also here seen Him who sees me?’”
(Genesis 16:13, NKJV)

Reflection: What unspoken ache feels invisible to others? How might El Roi’s gaze transform loneliness into holy encounter?

Day 5: Threads in God’s Tapestry of Time

Miss Jenny’s story reveals God’s decades-long weaving—connecting a girl in pews to a pastor’s wife. Our lives aren’t random episodes but intentional stitches in eternity’s fabric. What seems delayed or detoured is divine pacing. Like Israel eating Canaan’s food, we’re nourished by others’ faithfulness while becoming provision for future generations. [06:56]

“O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.”
(Psalm 139:1-2, NKJV)

Reflection: What current thread in your life feels insignificant? How might it connect to God’s greater design beyond your lifetime?

Sermon Summary

God reveals His names so people can know His character, understand what He is available to do, and call on Him with confidence. Jehovah Jireh meets provision, Jehovah Rapha meets healing, and Jehovah Elyon reminds every lesser authority that God is Most High. Every name of God is like a golden key that opens understanding, knowledge, and resources from God.

Adonai means Lord, Master, and Owner. Adonai moves a person beyond merely knowing God as a friend into yielding leadership of life to Him. This surrender is not loss, because if a person is fully surrendered to Him, He is completely responsible for them. God’s vision reaches farther than the little vision people can draw up for themselves, because He is the great Author and the great Weaver of life.

Joshua’s meeting with the Commander of the Lord’s army shows that God is not simply joining somebody’s side. The Commander declares that He has come as Commander of the Lord’s army, and Joshua falls on his face in worship. Joshua’s posture reveals the right response to Adonai: “What does my Lord say to His servant?” The holy ground, the removed sandal, and the coming battle all point to a transition that requires surrender.

The manna ceasing at Gilgal also reveals God’s hand in seasons of change. God may dry up what fed someone in the last season while opening what will feed them in the next one. The drying brook in Elijah’s life carried the same signal: God was moving provision and calling His servant to follow.

Lordship means responding to the Holy Spirit’s nudges, even when obedience feels foolish, inconvenient, or strange. God can use a simple lullaby, an unexpected act, or a small gift to reach a wounded person or open heaven over an obedient life. Obedience documents a willing heart and gives God room to reward faithfulness.

El Roi, the God who sees, meets Hagar in the wilderness when she feels cast out, unseen, and hopeless. God sees the hidden, the broken, the grief, the silent tears, and even the motives that people misunderstand. God speaks vision into what looks dead and reminds the outcast that their life is not over. His mercy does not excuse sin, but His grace still meets humanity in the mess and calls people back through Christ’s merit.

Key Takeaways

1. Surrender makes room for God’s responsibility. Adonai means more than using a title for God. Lordship places personal plans, outcomes, and fears into His hands. God does not ask for surrender in order to diminish a life, but because His wisdom can weave together things that human vision cannot see. [04:44]
2. God’s side is the only side. Joshua’s question exposes a common desire to make God support personal agendas. The Commander of the Lord’s army does not come to validate Joshua’s side, but to establish God’s rule. Worship begins when a heart stops demanding divine endorsement and asks, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” [16:56]
3. A drying brook can signal transition. God’s provision for Israel changed when manna ceased and the produce of Canaan began. A closed flow does not always mean abandonment; sometimes it means God is moving a person into a new season. Faith must recognize when yesterday’s provision has done its work and follow God toward what is next. [14:19]
4. El Roi sees the unseen pain. Hagar’s wilderness became a place of revelation because God met her where hope appeared finished. God sees pain that others overlook, motives that others misread, and losses that feel too heavy to name. His sight is not distant observation, but personal care that speaks life into despair. [30:46]
5. Obedience may look foolish but matter deeply. The Holy Spirit may prompt an action that makes little sense in the moment. God can use an awkward word, a song, a gift, or a simple act to interrupt somebody’s despair. Lordship trusts that God sees what is happening beyond the limits of natural understanding.

## [28:44]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:27] - Why God Reveals His Names
[02:31] - Calling on God’s Character
[03:55] - Adonai: Lord, Master, Owner
[04:44] - Fully Surrendered, Fully Responsible
[08:01] - How Excellent Is His Name
[12:29] - Joshua Meets the Lord’s Commander
[14:19] - When the Manna Ceases
[16:56] - Whose Side Is God On?
[19:51] - Confessing Jesus as Lord
[23:40] - Jonah and the Direction of Disobedience
[25:32] - Responding to Holy Spirit Nudges
[30:14] - El Roi: The God Who Sees
[37:53] - God Meets Humanity in the Mess
[47:24] - Speaking Hope to the Outcast

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Joshua 5:13–15
“And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, ‘Are You for us or for our adversaries?’ So He said, ‘No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’ And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, ‘What does my Lord say to His servant?’ Then the Commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, ‘Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.’ And Joshua did so.” [16:56]

Genesis 16:13
“Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, ‘Have I also here seen Him who sees me?’” [30:46]

Joshua 5:10–12
“Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain on the very same day. Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year.” [14:19]

Romans 10:9
“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” [20:08]

Observation questions

In Joshua 5:13–15, what does Joshua ask the Man with the drawn sword, and how does the Commander answer him? What does Joshua do after hearing the answer? [16:09]
What changes for Israel when the manna ceases at Gilgal, and what new source of food do they receive? [15:29]
What name does Hagar give God in Genesis 16:13, and what does that name say about God’s attention toward her? [30:44]
According to Romans 10:9, what two responses are connected with salvation, and what title is given to Jesus? [20:08]

Interpretation questions

The Commander of the Lord’s army does not come to take Joshua’s side but declares that He represents the Lord’s army. How does this correct the common desire to ask God to support personal plans rather than asking how to join God’s purposes? [16:27]
Joshua responds, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” What does this question reveal about the difference between recognizing God as a helper and submitting to Him as Adonai—Lord, Master, and Owner? [17:10]
Israel’s manna stopped only after they began eating the produce of Canaan. How can a closed door, changing provision, or an ending season sometimes be a sign of God’s direction rather than God’s abandonment? [14:26]
Hagar encountered God when she was cast out, afraid, and without hope. How does God speaking a future over Ishmael show that El Roi does more than observe pain from a distance? [31:29]

Application questions

Is there an area of life where it is easy to call Jesus “Lord” but difficult to give Him leadership—finances, relationships, health, plans, habits, or a future decision? What would surrendering that specific area to Adonai look like this week? [20:32]
Joshua’s question can easily become, “Is God on my side?” Is there a current conflict, decision, or burden where the better question may be, “Lord, what do You say to Your servant?” What might change in the way you approach it? [17:10]
Has a source of provision, a role, a relationship, or a familiar routine recently slowed down or ended? Rather than assuming God has left you, what new provision or direction might be worth prayerfully noticing? [15:11]
When the Holy Spirit brings a person to mind or prompts a simple act of kindness, what usually makes you hesitate—fear of looking foolish, inconvenience, tiredness, uncertainty, or something else? What is one prompt you can respond to more quickly? [25:36]
God may use a simple word, song, gift, or unusual act to reach someone who is hurting. Is there someone in your life who may need to hear, “God sees you”? What practical, caring way could you encourage them without trying to fix everything? [47:31]
Hagar named God El Roi when she felt unseen and pushed away. Where do you personally need the comfort of knowing that God sees your silent pain, misunderstood motives, or hidden grief? How can you bring that honestly to Him this week? [33:43]
After failure, people can be tempted to hide from God like Adam and Eve. When you have made a mistake, do you tend to pull away from God or return to Him? What does it mean to come back to Him trusting Christ’s merit rather than your own? [42:13]

Sermon Clips

47s

#GodSeesYou

“Come Jesus coming by. El Roi reveals that God is not a distant deity watching from afar off. He is intimately acquainted with our secret struggles and silent tears. Whether you are in a wilderness experiencing a feeling or are feeling invisible to the world, this name brings comfort to us. The Creator of the universe is looking at you with love, understanding, and personal care. It's good to know God sees us, isn't it? How many of you are glad God sees you? Thank you, Lord,”

32s

#FullySurrendered

“But if you really study, you know, that word and you really begin to study what it means for him to be your lord, It means you have yielded to him, you have surrendered leadership of your life to him. But it also means that if if you are fully surrendered to him, he's completely responsible for you. Somebody say that with me. If you're fully surrendered to him, he's completely responsible for you. Isn't that good news?”

27s

#GodsGotMore

“So that's a prophetic word for us. Sometimes we think it's the end, but God's still speaking vision into our life. Sometimes we think it's over. We think we don't have much to offer. We think there's nothing left. We think there's nothing gonna change. And God says, oh, I got something more for you. Your life's not over. I've got more for you. Somebody say, I receive it.”

47s

#MakeJesusLord

“It is the humble acknowledgement that god has the right to lead, guide, and define your life. Think about that in your own in your own journey. Was there a time that you felt like, you know, I'm saved, But then was there a time that you felt like Jesus is Lord? You know, he is Lord of my life. He that that switch happened where he you you surrendered to him. And that is that there is a little time frame there sometimes for people, right? From salvation to to are you really gonna surrender to God? You know, you're you're saved now, but you're still in that old world a lot. You're not yielded 100%. Are you are you gonna make him Lord? And that's where you're willing to to lay down yourself, lay down your own own agendas for his.”

38s

#CommanderOfTheLordArmy

“So whose side is he on? The Lord's side. Is he on Joshua's side? Not necessarily. Is he on Canaan's side? Jericho's side? Not necessarily. He said, in essence, I'm here. I'm ready. I'm I'm the commander of the Lord's army. That's interesting, isn't it? He didn't say, Joshua, I'm here to destroy all your enemies for you, did he? He said, nope. I'm here, commander of the lord's army.”

28s

#NewSeasonComing

“They're starting to get in that promised land. Now they're eating what's in the promised land as they're moving into it. And you'll see God, a lot of times when when we begin to transition in our in our journey for God, you'll see God will dry up what's feeding you in your last season. And he will begin to open up what's feeding you in your next season. And that is is recognition”

41s

#DailySurrender

“So a couple questions. What does submitting your allegiance to Adonai look like in your current daily routine? Does that mean you, you know, you talk to him every morning, Lord? I'm here. I got a few things to do, but I'm submitted to you, Lord. Right? I'm I'm putting it in your hands. I'm yielded to you, Lord. What what is your daily routine to to show him he's your Lord, to to just engage him and encounter him as Lord and worship him. Right? What is the what is the what are the things you do? Why can surrendering control to a master be a source of true freedom rather than restriction?”

69s

#GoBackToGod

“That's so true. We give him most of the time the pieces after it's broken. Right? We give him the worst of of us. And, like, we you know, that's one of the one of the great statements I've heard many times is, especially as a Christ follower, sometimes we, as a Christ follower, we've we've even failed god many times. And and whenever we sometimes go to God after we've been in Christ for years, we go to him and we're we're kinda hesitating like, God, I know I'm just mad. This situation is terrible. Whatever the case, I blew it up here. Lord, messed up here. And sometimes we're hesitant to go to God in our situation, kinda like Adam and Eve. They they hid. But that's actually what I heard when someone say was, God loved you when you had done nothing for him, when you had nothing to offer him. And now you've served him some and you're not at where you were. So go back to him. Right? Keep going back to him. Not in your own merit, but in Christ Christ merit.”

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