Your Daily Devotion for April 21, 2009

Respecting His Name

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

 

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

 

Matthew 6:9–10

 

 

God’s name is above all names, so treat it as such!

 

Clark Clifford shares this reminiscence of his former boss, Harry S. Truman:  Every morning at 8:30 the President would have a staff meeting. One day the mail clerk brought in a lavender envelope with a regal wax seal and flowing purple ribbons. Opening it, the President found a letter in protest of the admission of Jews to Palestine from King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia, whose salutation began, “Your Magnificence.” “Your Magnificence,” Truman repeated, laughing. “I like that. I don't know what you guys call me when I'm not here, but it's okay if you refer to me from now on as ‘His Magnificence.’” Not feeling the same way as King Saud, Truman sent a message to the United Nations supporting the admission of 100,000 Jews into Palestine. Soon afterward he received a second letter from King Ibn Saud. This one began: “Dear Mr. President.”

 

Many times respect is faked in order to gain something. Like King Saud, people pay obeisance to someone in authority to get what they want. But true respect is not said from the lips, but felt in the heart.

 

As Christians, we should show respect in every area of our lives. God shows us this principle when He says, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32). We should be kind and respectful to everyone we meet.

 

But taking that further, God desires us to be respectful in our prayer life. Notice God’s pattern of prayer, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come” (Matthew 6:9). The word hallowed means “To make holy, consecrate, sanctify.”

 

God’s name is to be revered and respected for whom it represents. Too many times the name of God is taken lightly, said flippantly, or attached to ungodly things—not only in cursing but in everyday speech as well. Have you ever said the name of God offhandedly about something? Maybe you jokingly attributed something to God that was not His. God’s name is holy and consecrated. His name should be more than a joking reference to us; it should be an honored name, used in reverence and respect.

 

How much do you respect the name of God? In Bible times, scribes respected His name so much they would bathe and put on new clothing before writing the name of Jehovah. God’s name was so honored to them that they wanted to make sure they were clean before writing it.

 

God desires that you would treat His name with respect and honor whenever you mention it—prayer, conversation, singing. He said in Isaiah 42:8, “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” Make sure that whenever you mention the Lord’s name, you say it in reverence and respect. God’s name is above all names, so treat it as such!

 

 

To find out more about Pastor Paul Chappell visit his blog or follow him on twitter.

 

To learn more about the ministries of Lancaster Baptist Church and Pastor Chappell, please visit lancasterbaptist.org.

 

 

 

Daily Bible Reading

2 Samuel 12-13 • Luke 16

 

 

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