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For His Name
Isaiah 48:9 & 11 'For my own name's sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to cut you off … For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another.' (NIV)
 The Bible is always very clear on this point: the God of heaven will never allow his glory to be shared with anyone else. He won't allow his good name to be maligned or treated like dirt. Sure, people may throw God's name around lightly and think they're getting away with it, but in the end they reap what they've sown. If we treat God with disrespect, he will not respect us when it comes to judgement of our lives. But God doesn't protect his name because he's feeling insecure. He protects his name, his reputation, for our sake. If we are able to pull down the reputation of God, by saying that he does things he doesn't do, for example, then we an future generations like us will never know how we should behave – for we are wired in his image, to learn to think and act as he does. When God's name is maligned, our true nature is dragged through the mud. God will not allow others to take credit for what he does. That's why he reveals his plans before carrying them out. He wants it 'on the record': 'I did this, and nobody else.' That's also why he is so fiercely protective of his people, because we carry his name. We have been accepted into his family and our welfare puts his name on the line. Even when he has allowed us to be tested and refined in some way, he will not allow us to be destroyed or crushed. For the sake of his own name, God will draw a line around the refining process. He marks out just how long it will last and how far it will last, so that the honour of his name is in place.
Prayer: 'Father, help me to honour your great name. I know that I carry your reputation in my life and for that reason you will not allow life to overwhelm me. Thank you for that.'
© 2003-2004 Mal Fletcher
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Re the Bridgend suicides: This is a horrible tragedy for this town. The promise and excitement these young people have missed of college, getting married, children, having a career, being a grandparent, traveling the world... Where is the parental involvement in all this?
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Hey! This Kiwi stumbled onto your EDGES TV program on the Cashless Society. It was truly good.
Merv, New Zealand
I read your Daily Recharge devotions nearly everyday and it really encourages my spirit.
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