Your Name, O Lord, Endures Forever
Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord, give praise, O servants of the Lord, 2who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God! 3Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant! (Psalm 135:1-3)
Our church was without a pastor shortly after we moved to Lubbock, and the congregation was dwindling as can happen during a call. A vicar named Tim Radkey came to Lubbock around Christmas to visit his wife's family in Slaton, and one of our members, Ernie Kiesling, invited him to come preach that Sunday (in an effort to hear him speak and see what he could bring to a congregation looking for a pastor at the time). His sermon was memorable for several reasons. It was titled "What's in a Name?"
He came and spoke at the start of the service in Lubbock about not knowing much about the city, having been in Dallas most of his life. He then said, "But hire a guy named Bobby Knight and now everyone knows where Lubbock is." Bobby Knight was still a name to be held in awe when he came to Lubbock. Did the name Bobby Knight really put Texas Tech and Lubbock on the national map? Let's just say it didn't hurt.
A name conveys meaning. If I said names like George S. Patton, Martin Luther King, or Abraham Lincoln, you would have not just an image of the person, but a meaning attached to each one.
A name for God - Yahweh - is the God of the Covenant. "I AM," or "LORD" each represent that name of the Covenant God. Jesus, another name for God, is the name that means "savior" as Pastor Eric pointed out. Jesus is ultimately the fulfillment of that covenant love his Father showed Israel at the time of their delivery from bondage and slavery, and Jesus is the fulfillment of that love now for all believers.
One way we honor the name of the LORD (Yahweh) is to praise him. We praise him in song, through prayer and through its use. We use it to teach about who he is, and we use it to share his name with others. Each name used for God carries a meaning. Jesus is our deliverer and our savior.
We praise the name of God for delivering us from sin, Satan and death. We praise his Son, Jesus, for being our savior.
Pray with me: Gracious Father, We give thanks to you and sing songs of praise in your name, lift up psalms praising your name, and give praise to you through prayer and use of your holy and precious name. We give thanks and praise to you, Holy Father, for the Son you sent whose name is Jesus, our Savior. It is in his name we pray, Amen.