“God is renowned in Judah;
in Israel His name is great.”
Psalms 76:1 NIVUK
We read those first few words and get as far as “His name is great”. How does that sit with us this morning? We live in a society that has largely turned away from God into secularism. There is little mention of the name of God, except as a blasphemous swear word on the lips of people who fail to understand the awesomeness and significance of His name. I once had a conversation with a lady in my office, who was a confirmed atheist. She was unmoving in her belief that there was no God. But she was very fond of using the expression “Oh my God!” And one day, I reminded her that, for someone who didn’t believe in God, she called upon His name an awful lot. I never heard her use that expression again. The significance of using His name suddenly dawned upon her.
To me, the name of God is sacred. His name is holy, loving, gracious. And I can call Him “Abba” or “Daddy” (Romans 8:15). How can that be, that I, a mere mortal human being, can call the Creator of the universe, “Daddy”.? That’s breath taking. That’s totally beyond human comprehension. But the Bible is full of references to the name of God and His attributes are limitless. And as I write these words, I feel a lift in my spirit, as I think about Him. If we spend time exploring the names of God in the Bible we will obtain a glimpse of who our wonderful God is. But when we do that we only scratch the service of what He is really like. All my Christian life God has never ceased to surprise me, to amaze me, and when I have needed it, when I have called out His name, I have felt in my spirit a gentle whisper and His loving touch. Sometimes in my early morning walks I whisper the name, “Jesus”. And I seem to receive an echo of agreement from the trees and undergrowth around me, as though they too want to hear His name.
So what do we all think about God and His name today? Is it a great name, one we revere, one we love and embrace? Or is it an irrelevance in our busy human activities? We would all do well to put the mention of His name at the top of any task list that we possess.
Being a Pilgrim 