BECAUSE WE KNOW HIS NAME

I am always fascinated to see how God will arrange a meeting between one of His children and a reassuring, insightful word from Scripture. God cares for every one of His children—His personal creation. It is God’s desire to give us some of His revealed wisdom in our times of need, and most frequently He does this through His Word. He will arrange for us to bump into His wisdom through what I call “an intersection.”

A few years ago I had several skin cancers removed from my legs. I had had skin cancers removed before and there was nothing particularly different or difficult about this time, but for some reason I found myself getting anxious about the procedure. Perhaps one of the reasons for the anxiety was my feeling of, “Is there no end to this?” The legalists would suggest that I felt this way because of my weak faith—and they could be right.

The day before the procedure I had one of those intersections between my need and God’s Word. As I was working at my desk, I came across an old note I had written with just Psalm 75:1-3 on it . . . nothing more. I am hopelessly curious and when I saw the note I couldn’t just throw it away. I didn’t recall why I had written it or what the verses were about, so I quickly looked up the passage:

 We give thanks to you, O God,
       we give thanks, for your Name is near;
       men tell of your wonderful deeds.

 You say, "I choose the appointed time;
       it is I who judge uprightly.

 When the earth and all its people quake,
       it is I who hold its pillars firm” (Psalm 75:1-3, NIV).

I was deeply encouraged by the reminder to give thanks in all things. And then the powerful declaration of God regarding His sovereignty hit me: “I choose the times, all of them and I judge all things righteously. When things around you are shaking and seeming like they will fall apart, it is I [God]) who holds the pillars firm.” This was a powerfully encouraging passage for me at my moment of anxiety.

As I enjoyed this word of encouragement, I realized that I didn’t understand one part of it. I was rather baffled by the phrase, “for your Name is near.” What I also didn’t realize was how much the meaning of that phrase was going to minister to me at the place of my need.

After a little research I found out that some ancient Jewish authors and biblical scholars would not write out or pronounce the name of God. They felt that to do so was sacrilegious and showed a lack of reverence so, instead, they used the abbreviation (YHWH for Yahweh) or referred to “the Name” to indicate that it was God they were speaking of. 

My search to understand this rather awkward phrase also led me to Deuteronomy 12:5: “You shall seek the place which the Lord your God shall choose . . . to put His Name and make His dwelling place . . .” (Amplified).

I discovered that the use of “name” for God is equivalent to “His presence.” The place where God puts His name is the place where the Lord Himself chooses to dwell.

The Lord quickened at least three things to my heart from these verses:

1. The passage was reminding me to give thanks. The injunction to “give thanks” is repeated within verse one, and repetition in Scripture tells me, “This is important so pay attention.” I don’t give thanks for the problems, I give thanks for His faithfulness, for the wonderful ways He has met our needs in the past, and for His unfailing love. I worship Him!
2. God is not remote from those who give thanks. He is near and He is not unaware of each of the needs we face . . . all of them . . . big and little. God is aware of everything going on in our lives and He is not removed or distant from the struggle we may be in. In Psalm 75:1 God is telling us that He chooses to make His dwelling place close to His children. Honest thanksgiving is humble thanksgiving and God dwells with the humble (see Isaiah 57:15).
3. I was reminded that He is still in charge, He is sovereign. He establishes the times for everything and when moments of tribulation come, He is the one who will hold things together.

Now listen to what God says directly to His children who love Him; to those who know His name.

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation” (Psalm 91:14-16, ESV).

Because we know His name!