Thoughts for the Day

Save me, O God, by your name,
and vindicate me by your might.
Hear my prayer, O God;
give ear to the words of my mouth.

For the insolent have risen against me,
the ruthless seek my life;
they do not set God before them.

But surely, God is my helper;
the Lord is the upholder of my life.
He will repay my enemies for their evil.
In your faithfulness, put an end to them.

With a freewill-offering I will sacrifice to you;
I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.
For he has delivered me from every trouble,
and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

How many of us have had to name a baby? What will the character of the child be like, will it still suit them as an adult? I once refused to accept every name in a certain football team for a baby boy! Imagine trying to write that on forms in the future!

In Psalm 54 David is fleeing from King Saul who is trying to kill him. The people of Ziph, members of David's own tribe of Judah, have informed the king of his presence in the area. This is a time before David becomes King, around 1000 BCE King Saul's reaction is to immediately take his army there to destroy the man he thinks of, in his madness, as his enemy. There is no escape for David, his only hope is to appeal to God, and he cries "Save me, O God, by thy name." This is more than just a name! God's name carries His reputation, His essence, His character. You cannot separate Him from His name there is only one GOD, who is holy, unique, and separate from all others. The name of God is God Himself! Then just as all seems lost Saul receives news that his kingdom is under threat by the Philistines and he withdraws his army to fight them. David is vindicated by God - declared innocent, and saved!

Perhaps we should be a little more careful about casually using the word "God"! And when we do use it, we should expect things to happen.

Heavenly Father,
who told Moses to call You by name,
and whom Jesus taught us to name as 'Father',
may we know the privilege of being Your children,
and of drawing closer to You.
Help us to be honest in our prayers,
thinking not just of ourselves
but also of those around us,
and learning to see the bigger picture,
so that we come closer to understanding
Your answers to our requests.
Amen.