Sunday 1 May 2016

His Exalted Name

So let Your name be magnified forever, saying, 'The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel.' And let the house of Your servant David be established before You. – 2 Samuel 7.26

We live in a day when God’s name has been cheapened and made common by a world that rejects Him. His name is used in the most inappropriate ways and thoughtless ways and vain ways.Some folks think they can call of God to damn others. His name has become a tool or something to gain us profit or to claim Him being on our political side in a debate.

We all know that there is a commandment that says ‘you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.’ It is easy to say something like ‘I don’t do that. It is just something that comes out when I say ‘OMG’ or ‘Oh G__’ or something like that. I don’t mean anything by it.’ We might say ‘I never say things like ‘D___ d___ it’ so I don’t really take His name in vain.

I hope we don't say any of those things. Even a casual use of God’s name is using it vainly instead of seeing it magnified.

But just as bad I think is dragging God’s name down to try and use Him is business or advertising or politics. Folks who try to sell their products by claiming their product is ‘God’s way’ or the Bible way of doing something cheapen His name.

But my personal pet peeve is applying God’s name to politics of politicians by claiming ‘this is God’s candidate’ in order to claim Christian votes. When we try to force God into our political thought or claim that this party or that party is following God’s agenda we are lowering is name to fit our earthly agenda.

God’s name is to be uplifted and glorified and exalted and magnified. May we never cheapen it by our vain and empty use of His holy name.

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