When I first woke up this morning, immediately I was singing these words which I had never sung before. They were just right there in my mind.
Praise His Name, His Sovereign Name,
Praise the Name of Jesus,
Thank Him for His Living Word
And praise the holy Name of Jesus,
His Name is high above all names,
The glorious Name of Jesus,
Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess,
The matchless Name of Jesus.
The fragrance of God’s name reminds me of (Exodus 30:34-38) the holy anointing oil. This fragrance which the Lord instructed Moses to make, was strictly forbidden to ever be used for anyone’s personal use. It was most holy and to be put in the place where God would meet with His people to signify His holy Presence. It is just as deadly serious for us now to never use God’s name lightly or (Deuteronomy 5:11) take it in vain. Every time you speak the Name of God – remember Who He is. All of our offerings to the Lord should carry the fragrance of our exclusive loving devotion to Him. The Lord has a written record (Malachi 3:16) of those who think on His Name. God has a purpose for everything and we glorify His Name for His holy purpose. Here’s an example: God said to Pharaoh (Exodus 9:16) for this very purpose I let you live so that My Name would be declared through the earth.
Jesus said (John 16:23) that we are to ask/pray in His Name. Why? Because His Name is the Source of all Authority and Power. Everything Jesus did and continues to do through us as we obey Him (Acts 5:41) is for the sake of His glorious Name. His Name expresses all He is (Exodus 6:3, Philippians 2:9-10) and His Name (Isaiah 9:6) will be exalted high above all names. God acts in the universe and in our lives for the sake of His holy Name. God does mighty works, not according to what we deserve, but (Jeremiah 14:7) for His Name’s sake. His Name reveals (Revelation 1:8) that He is the Beginning and the End and that He was and is to come. Nothing God says is an after-thought but is always an up-front declaration. He has the final Word.
He leads me in paths (Psalms 23:3) of righteousness, not because I’ve earned it but for His own Name’s sake. The Highway of Heroes (Hebrews chapter 11) is the Highway of Wholeness. The heroes and heroines who travelled that path conquered victoriously by their faith (Psalms 20:7) in the name of the Lord. Faith in anything else or in any other name can never bring victory but is a guarantee of crushing defeat. There is no magic in the pages of the Bible but there is history-making, miracle-working, self-fulfilling power (Isaiah 46:10) in its holy Living Words.
Many years ago, Pastor Wayne Kerr taught this chorus to our Rexdale congregation:
His Name is like an ointment poured forth,
A fragrance rare of wonderful worth,
His Name is like an ointment poured forth,
His wonderful, wonderful Name, is Jesus, Jesus,
There is no one else like Jesus.
Read again the heart-breaking words and hard-fought victory and His prayer to God in PS.22. Realize - remember – never forget that the immense cost of our salvation could never have been paid – had it not been for the abundant worthiness of the Lamb of God. Our God is a God of terrifying holiness, overwhelming beauty and compelling magnetic mystery.
Every day I am filled with longing to increasingly know Him better in heart-to-heart intimacy and to love Him more. The wonderful Holy Spirit searches the deep things within us that are too deep for words (Romans 8:26-27) and he prays for me in my desires and teaches me even while I pray. At the present time my experience is (2 Corinthians 4:16) my ‘outer man’ is decaying but my inner self is renewed day after day.
Jesus said (John 14:16) I will ask the Father and He will give. Jesus had no doubts that His prayer requests would always be granted. Neither will we if we are so identified with Him that we will always pray in accordance with God’s will, which He reveals as we continue in faithful prayer. When we pray, our fears and problems do not vanish instantly. But they fall back into a right perspective and lose their deceptive effects on our viewpoint.
Wisdom for us is (Hebrews 12:2) to be always looking to Jesus. With our focus on Jesus, we will give to the Lord (Psalms 29:2) the glory due to His Name and give thanks (Psalms 30:4) at the remembrance of His holy Name. Do I remember to give thanks when I’m having a cup of tea in Canada because God created a bush in Sri Lanka? My tea is a daily reminder to pray for the people.
Whenever the water touched (Ezekiel 47:9, John 7:37-38) everything lived. While we wait for the sound of the trumpet, we must be faithful witnesses to the Lord Jesus and offer the Living Water to the walking dead who are all around us. We are to be involved in God’s redemptive purpose.
To eat the flesh and (John 6:33-34) drink the blood of Jesus is to take His very Life into myself. His Life within me is to be His Life lived out through me. My times (Psalms 31:15) are in God’s hand and who can change or cancel (Isaiah 14:27) God’s purpose or turn back His hand?
Here is a jewel for you personally.
In the darkness of the midnight, whisper the precious Name of Jesus and be enveloped in its fragrance.