What's In A Name?

   Why does the mention of Jesus' name invoke such reactions?

   In Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 12, the writer quotes a passage from Isaiah that ends with these words (from The Message):

" the mere sound of his name will signal hope, even
    among far-off unbelievers."

   The mere mention of His Name is a signal, as in reality it still is today, but the reactions are as diverse as they were back in the time of the early church. Remember the religious leaders forbade the early disciples to speak in His Name:

"They called them back and warned them that they were on no account ever again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus."

   How we use the Name of Jesus Christ says a lot about our reactions to its use. These three ways come to my mind right now.

   1. Speaking His name without emotion as in just another historical figure, one who lived and died and did things while serving His time on earth. Perhaps not even acknowledged in that way, but only accepted as a man in some sort of mythology that we can learn lessons from.

   2. Speaking His Name only in derision, as a part of a cursing phrase. I confess that this usage brings a cringe to my soul, and I hate to hear it, even when it is shortened to "Jeez" or some other like word. This flippant usage is an affront to God as well, but the cursing in His Name goes farther than that.

   3. Then there is the reverent, the use of Jesus' Name, spoken in hope, in awe, in ways that affirm what the Bible teaches. He tells us to pray to God in His Name, not as just a mantra to be used to assure God's hearing and acting, but as a reverent acknowledgement of His relationship.

   What is bound up in a name? A lot!

   What is bound up in how we speak that Name or even how we refrain from speaking it? A lot!

   There is a credit card commercial that asks "What is in your wallet?"

   Maybe the proper question might be "What is in my mouth (or your's)".

The Question: Which Hand to Use?

   At the end of the Psalm reading for this morning was this verse. From Psalm 110:5:

"The Lord is at your right hand"

   I can't but think of the image that I used on Monday, the little boy being led by the father, the boy's right hand in the left hand of the other.

   And I realize that the title of the post on Monday will continue on with this one.

   As I raise my right hand to be led by My Heavenly Father, and put it in His left one, I am taking the hand that I use for almost everything, and take it out of play in my life. I am not sure how all of this applies to one who is left-handed, but it says to me, "give up willingly your source of strength and ability to do things and use Jesus'".

   I have tried on occasion to try to use my left hand to do some ordinary things. Things like eating and writing are time consuming and take much effort, so much so that I do not even want to attempt them.

   If I place my right hand in His left, it still leaves two hands free. My left which is my weaker one and His right which symbolizes His strength.

   How often do I want to take my right hand and work my way through the situations of life, when by giving them all to Him, I can use His strength and guidance to do it right the first time.

   An easy lesson to see as I sit here and read right now, but how hard to remember to do it out there where decisions lie. I need help even to raise my hand and ask for help.

   Right or Left?

   Hold on with my left and use my right, or give up and hold on with my right and let His strength be shown in my weakness?

   As Paul writes in II Corinthians 12:9:

"And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."

   It is not easy to boast about weakness, when it is my own, but it is right.

Guidance

   At the very end of Psalm 48, there is this short phrase:

"He will guide us"

   I guess the reason this struck me this morning is that I had just prayed for this very thing. God gives us many things to enjoy, places, people, foods, and even some abilities. How do I use what he has given to me, even in this latter stage of life? Is there a reason for why I enjoy doing these things, a deeper reason than just enjoyment for myself?

   I believe there is a purpose behind everything that goes on, so I look for this in the things that I spend my time on these days. People might say "hey, you are good at that" or some other affirmation, and that leads to doing more, not just for folks to praise me, but maybe for a higher purpose.

   That is what I want, but I want to be guided in that way of purpose. If I am to spend some hours, maybe a lot of hours, of my time on something, it must include more than just a way to kill time, or even spend it on myself.

   So I pray for guidance, be it sudden and dramatic, or just a steady progression in the right direction, leading to a purposeful end,

   I want to be the boy in the picture, being led, safely and happily in the direction that his dad wants him to go.

   God wants the best for me and for those that I touch, so it stands to reason that He will guide me in that direction if I but ask.

   So I ask, and then I wait for some confirmation of His Will. Then I can take His hand and walk alongside, to where I should head.

   That is the destination where I want to arrive...

   

Not Can I, But Will I?

   While attending a meeting at our church last evening, a meeting regarding the practice of discipleship, first of all in my own life, and then in the life of the church, I saw in my own mind, a picture of open hands.

   What did this mean in the context of what I was hearing from the platform? Why this thought and picture right then?

   And why this thought returning to me this morning?

   Well, I am due to go back for the concluding sessions this morning, and I catch a glimpse of the intended meaning of the open hands. I see a sack, it looks like a bag of money, but it has writing on it that says "My Life". I sense that that bag is to be placed in those hands, not only put there, but left there for good.

   The thoughts from last evening are backed up this morning in the reading of a devotional entitled, The So-Reign Challenge, where the question is asked, "Is God Sovereign or Not?", and it applies to that scene.

   Trusting that God has worked in my life up to this point, do I leave the bag of my life in His hands, or do I try to take it back and work things out in my own way, doing what I want to do with His words and the picture He has presented?

   I know that God is Sovereign, and that He wants the best for my life. That would include my situations and all the people who occupy space in those. Do I trust Him enough to leave that bag in his hands? Even though I know nothing that will happen as even this day goes on, can I trust enough to just let it happen and look for His hand in it?

   I'll do my best, with His help.

 

True, Effective Leadership

   Waking up this morning, somewhat later than what I wanted to, probably because I stayed up too late last night, my first thoughts were on the activities of this day. I reviewed the schedule in my mind, even before I sat down in this, my supposed "quiet time". As I took up the routine of prayer before beginning anything, I realized that I had already begun to plan my day, even before asking God's guidance for my thoughts and actions.

   It is hard to shoehorn all that goes on in an active mind back into a life that wants to be led by God, but has a hard time getting into a following mold.

   So, I sit down to pray, and as I write out my petitions to God, I find myself hearing the words of a hymn that I have sung many times in the past. Maybe it is not so prevalent in our church's music repertoire, but there it was in my mind:

   Lead On, O King Eternal, words by Ernest Shurtleff, written back in 1887.

   As I read the words and thought about their appropriateness in my life right now, I realized that, although I had been put in various places of leadership, those places were not as important as the leader I was following. I might take them to be, but this was pride coming out.

   Marching out, leading the band to do great things, even in a good cause, has a certain aura to it, but following a real leader is the most important area of leadership. Whom I follow is more the determinate of true success than what I do.

   What words of the hymn spoke to me?

2. Lead on, O King Eternal,
Till sin's fierce war shall cease,
And holiness shall whisper
The sweet amen of peace;
For not with swords' loud clashing,
Or roll of stirring drums;
With deeds of love and mercy
The heav'nly kingdom comes.

   Not the fanfare, not the great accomplishments, if there be any, but how are they done?\

With deeds of love and mercy
The heav'nly kingdom comes.

   In love and in mercy, quietly and maybe in secret, but done.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done

A Prayer for a New Day and a New Year

   From Psalm 103 this morning:

" Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

   And from the pen of Matt Redman, a portion of the lyrics from a song:

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

   And the chorus from this song, 10,000 Reasons:

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

   And a question from my mind: How can I bless God? It is He that is doing the blessing, not me or anyone else.

   From another source, I read that the Hebrew word for blessed, and the word for knee seem to come from the same source, thus implying that as I humble myself on my knees before God, and show gratitude for His blessings, I do bless Him for all He has done.

   So the song that I sing early in the morning is sung in humility for all that He has done for me, all that I could have never done for myself, and my prayer is that this will be my attitude all through the day, so that the same song will still be on my lips when the day is done.

   Now that would be a Blessed Day, and a great way to begin this New Year.

   Let it be so....

A Balancing Act

   After staying up late to watch the end of the Duke-Texas A&M football game last night, I did not wake up early, and when I did get up, I had a foggy brain. Thinking that for me to concentrate on what I was to read on the first day of this new year, I needed to get out and get some fresh air and have a little bit of exercise. It does help, a lot, and I came back in to see what I would find in the Bible readings.

   As I had come back through the condo garage, I spotted the car of a friend upstairs. She had asked me if I would check the air in her tires, as the ride seemed harsh, and her inboard computer showed that there was more air in each than was recommended. So when I got back up in the condo, I found my gauge and went back to check. Sure enough, they were all on the high side, so I let enough out of each to put the pressure in the acceptable range. I had thought to myself earlier, "if I don't do it early, she will be gone, and I will have let another day pass without any action on her request".

   Then, as I sat down to read once more, I noticed a letter on my desk from an inmate over in a state prison in Macon County. It had come a few days earlier, and I had been so busy with grand kids, that I had set it aside and not even read it, much less responded to it. So I read it and thought about how I should write back.

   Then it was breakfast and after that, some bills to pay, to get in the mail today, and some domestic things to help my wife with.

   Of course, the reason why all this piled up on my plate this morning was because I did not get up early as I like. Even though I knew that I needed to do these little things, I also knew that being with God first was the best road to accomplishment for me.

   So I wondered, even as I read, "do I always need to sit down and read and pray first of all each day and then go do, or should I do when I see things, and then get the quiet time done later?" Does it even matter in which order, or is there a "right" way.

   I want to put God first, and to let Him have the first thoughts of any day, but what about the ox in the ditch.

   I read this in Psalms 55, when I finally get to it:

 "Give ear to my prayer, O God,
and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!"

   My prayer had been, right before I read the above, that God would show me how to achieve balance in my life. How He would let me not be a slave to any routine, just for routine's sake.

   Little things, not earth shattering things, but how to keep my priorities in the right place was where I felt the need of assurance. Only God could give me that, so I asked.

Abiding or doing? There is a place for both, and there is a need for both. I just want to find God's balance for me, this day and every day.