I will praise you forever for what you have done; In your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints. Psalm 52:9
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. II Chronicles 7:14 NIV
“If my people, who are called by my name,” II Chron. 7:14 emphasizes God’s name. God’s name demonstrates to us his character, his power, his love and his faithfulness. In Exodus 3:14, “God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’” “I am” is in the present tense, it shows God’s faithfulness and dependability in the past, in the present and in the future. The world we live in is bound by time, but God is not. John 8:58- 59 says, “‘I tell you the truth, ‘Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’ At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.” Jesus’ audience understood that he was claiming to be God, by saying “I am,” as God had declared himself “I am” before Moses at the burning bush. God is dependable, and he desires our complete trust in him.
The Bible tells us his name dwells in his sanctuary, (Deut.12:5). His name is with us and near us (Psalm 75:1). In many places throughout the Bible God promises to be with us (Ex. 3:12), (Ps. 91:15) (Ps. 23:4). God’s name is the very essence of who he is. Psalm 91:1-2 says, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust.” Our job is to rest, dwell, remain in God’s shelter, under his wings, in his sanctuary. God’s job is to protect, be our refuge, our hope and our fortress.
At the end of Psalm 91:14-15 the psalmist tells us, “‘Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.’” We are to call on his name, we are to acknowledge his name. God’s promise is that he will rescue us, answer us, deliver us, honor us, give us hope, and be with us in our trouble. Let us all call on his name, let us all pray, seek his face, rest in God’s shelter, and pray for his rescue, his deliverance, and his answer to the prayers of his people.
By Grace Hunter
