Sunday, August 23, 2009

Psalm 103

This hymn was one of my favorites from way back when.

His holy name! His holy name! His holy name! Oh, how I love his name! How I love the name of Yahweh and Yeshua! That Great One knows how weak I am; he knows that I am dust. That is so important to me. He is so merciful and compassionate to me. He is so close to me. He knows the way I walk and all I endure more than anyone else. He is so good and so kind and he upholds me. He gives me little nudges and winks throughout the day to show he's with me. He always forgives me although I'm so prone to sinning.

Why do people go around picking on the name of someone I love so so much?

I didn't know how I would talk about this psalm. There is so much in it -- the promise of health, the promise of forgiveness, the promise of love, the promise of joy, the promise of satisfaction.

But as I sat down to write, all I could think of was that I love this wonderful Being, our Creator...and when we love someone we don't want to hear their name dragged in the dust or mocked.

So what do we do when someone insults or mocks someone we love? When someone uses our Lord's name as a curse word, do we just sit there? I know we don't want to seem like priggish little pain-in-the-necks...but this is serious! This is the one we love.
One possible response to someone using Jesus' name as a curse word -- whether they meant it accidentally or purposely-- is to simply say to them, "Oh, are you praying?"

They'll give you an odd look. You therefore respond, "You just said, 'Jesus Christ! Were you praying?"
They will say, "No, of course not!"
To which you can respond, "Oh, so you were simply using the name of someone I love as a curse word? Try not to do that. I love Jesus very much."

The law says "silent gives assent." If you sit there and allow some comment to go unchallenged, you are assenting to it in this world, in your mind, and in the spiritual world. Don't let anyone diss our great Lord who has done so much for us and who continues to do great things for us.



Psalm 103

1Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
7He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
8The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
14For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

15As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
18To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
19The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
20Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
21Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
22Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.

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