A Name Worthy of My Praise

Devotional Text: Psalms 113:1-9

Summarizing Thoughts:
Those who serve the Lord should whole-heartedly, and without coercion, give Him praise. Not only praise Him, but His Name - that awesome name of Jesus. It is so important to know, recognize and proclaim His name. Only then can we offer true praise.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6 ASV). When I call upon him in prayer I do acknowledge that He has been so WONDERFUL to me; He remains a true COUNSELLOR in my time of confusion and lack of direction; He proves time and time again that He is a MIGHTY GOD and that no one compares to Him; He is my EVERLASTING FATHER and I can go to Him and speak to Him because of this close relationship we share; and He effectively speaks peace to me and/or my situation because He is the PRINCE OF PEACE with authority over any situation.

I call Him so many things because He has been so many things to me! But how wonderful it is to know His name! Those in the Old Testament did not know His name because it was not revealed. He was widely known as the I AM. It wasn't until His miraculous birth that His true name was revealed. And she shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call His name JESUS; for it is He that shall save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21 ASV). And, of course, it is good to be reminded "that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth (Philippians 2:10 ASV)." However, I don't want to be one of those who, at the end of time, is forced to acknowledge and praise Jesus, but I want to do it now, willingly and with gratefulness.

Once I have acknowledged the Lord's name as Jesus, I can pick up with the writings of the Psalmist and proclaim, "Praise the name of the Lord!" I can give thanks with my whole heart to the name Jesus my whole life, no matter where I am or the time of day. What a revelation to know that the Lord our God is Jesus and that His glory cannot be measured. He sits high above everything, even heaven and earth, but this does not prevent Him from noticing me or any poor person who needs a helping hand. He willingly bends down to pick us up. He can take a lowly person stuck in the filth and refuse of life and place him or her with people of influence and power. What a life changing experience! Verse 9 is even more amazing! He can take a woman who is unable to have children and perform a miracle of healing and showcase His power of creation by allowing her to experience the joys of motherhood!

Yes, praise His wonderful name! That wonderful name of Jesus!

Personal Application: I must be a servant of the Lord. The servant must know the Master's name and the power and authority that name holds. It must be my personal desire to praise him with a thankful heart no matter how I feel, what situation I find myself in, or what others may think or say about Him. I must read His Word daily to know the power and authority he has and displays when others proclaim His name. I cannot be persuaded or discouraged because others do not want to acknowledge His name or attempt to prevent me from using it. When I pray, I pray to Jesus. When I bless something, it is in the name of Jesus. When I rebuke something, it is in the name of Jesus. When I ask for something, it is in the name of Jesus. "And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:17 ASV)."

Prayer Focus:
Open my understanding of the power of the name of Jesus
Remove any doubts I may have about the authority granted to the name Jesus
Greater love for the Lord
Desire to serve the Lord with all my heart
Patience as I learn and grow while reading the Bible
Willingness to accept and act upon what I read in God's Word
Approach God with an attitude and lifestyle of praise
A heart that is humble
Ability to recognize all the areas in which God helps me

Blessed is the Person Who Fears the Lord

Devotional Text: Psalms 112:1-10

Summarizing Thoughts:
The person who fears the Lord will not only obey His Words with gladness, but will humbly recognize God's wisdom and authority. When I recognize His authority over me and my situation, I'm happy to do whatever He commands because I know He loves me and has my best interests in mind. To disobey Him would simply say that I know best; that I have more wisdom and understanding than the God who created the heavens and the earth; and reveal that the spirit of pride that only comes from the influences of Satan is operating and directing my life.

When my view of God is in proper perspective, I will teach the wisdom of God to my family, who, in turn, will also grow to love, respect and serve Him; therefore becoming just as blessed as me. What a heritage to pass down! 

No matter what God's decision for me, He is forever righteous - right in His direction for my life; right in what He permits to happen to me; right in what He chooses to keep from me. Even if I can't see my way and don't know what to do, I can always trust in Him because He will always be that light which guides me. Yes, He is merciful enough to withhold due punishment from me when I deserve it; compassionate enough to see my need and provide for me when I'm unable to provide for myself and/or family; and fair enough to allow life to happen to me just like it does for everyone else. I am satisfied in knowing that it is He who holds my future.

My trust is in the Lord! when I see someone in need, I willingly give to satisfy their need because I know the Lord will satisfy mine. He has blessed me greatly; maybe not with riches, but with energy, time, ability, talent and a few dollars here and there - not to hoard to myself, but to share. God will always take care of me! So why stress when things don't go the way I think they should? My confidence is in the Lord's ability to simply be God - that merciful, compassionate and fair God His Word says He is. No need to let life's events startle me or fear what will become of my future. In the end I will succeed.

My unwavering faith and generous spirit will be a testament of God's activity in me and will ultimately bring me an honorable reputation and lifestyle. Those who do not cherish the Lord or humbly obey His Words will always hate my success. They just can't stand it when I'm blessed, happy and content with where God has led me. They will try to bring me down and harm my good name - no not my name, but His name. Once I have been tested, I can look around and take note that those who came against me could not but out God's light in me, for God continues to sustain me. So where are they, those who come against me? They are nowhere to be found because our life and hope only exists in Him.

Personal Application: I must first learn to recognize God's authority by reading the Bible everyday! His Word will never change, so I must not try to change it by dismissing any of it because I don't like it, agree with it (this is pride) or prefer to do things my own way (again pride). I must pray faithfully everyday! I must maintain a close relationship with Him in order to trust Him. Just like I want to be able to trust Him with my deepest secrets and needs, He also wants to be able to trust me with the deep things of His Word and can rely on me to perform for Him when He has a need.

Prayer Focus:
Increased trust in God's ability
Persistent prayer life
Humbleness
Removal of pride from my heart, attitude and lifestyle
Greater love for God's Word
Willingness to give and faith to believe God will provide