Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
What's your favorite name brand? It could be clothing, some kind of soda, a car, or something else that you really enjoy. This is your go-to that you recommend to other people. Why is that particular name brand special to you?
Usually it's because of quality, consistency, how long they last, or it could be highly recommended from people that you trust or care about. Take some time to really understand the reasons why name brands mean so much- because it's trusted brand quality. Think about and hold on to that name brand that you like and why you like that particular name brand.
Trusting His Name
Let's look at the Verse of the Day today through that particular lens. Psalm chapter 9, verse 10 is our Verse of the Day. This is what it says: "Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for You." Those who know Your name trust in You. It's like trusting in that name brand.
Thinking about all those reasons why you trust and love that name brand, think about the name of the Lord and how trusted His name is. Sometimes we can get a little confused as to why the Bible talks so much about the name of God. We'll get into that a little bit later.
I would just love for you to just take some time and think about: How much do you trust Him? Part of that is recommendation. As we talk about recommendations for a name brand and turning to that particular name brand, hearing other people's stories of impacts that God has had in their life, and recommendations that they are sharing of their relationship with God- the more we talk about those things, the more trusted we can look at the name of God.
Quality in Life
We obviously know God is perfection, so we know the quality is there. Sometimes we don't truthfully look at everything that God is doing in our life as quality because we think, "If my life were quality, I would have nothing bad going on in my life. There wouldn't be any struggles." Sometimes we look at it through a lens that is different than what we would for everything else.
James chapter 1 says everything that is good comes from the Father above. If we start looking at and identifying all the good things in our life, we can start trusting that actually, "Wait a second. Actually, all the good things in my life are coming from God, so I can trust Him."
Another thing that is obviously an impact for a name brand is something that lasts. It's going to last a long time. I just saw a sign that says the Lord is the Alpha and Omega. As the Bible talks about, He will last forever. He is never changing. He's always there for you. That's the beauty of the last part of this verse: "O Lord, do not abandon those who search for You."
He Will Not Abandon You
Some of you today, you're feeling abandoned. You're feeling like whatever you're going through today, you're going through alone. I'm sorry you're feeling that way. Let me just tell you, the Lord can be trusted. He will not abandon you.
I love what I heard an evangelist say many years ago. He said, "You are as close to God as you choose to be." That's based out of James chapter 4, where it says, "Draw close to God and He will draw close to you." Some of you may say, "Pastor, I'm trying. I'm trying over and over again. He does not feel close." That's when we get to the trust. Do you trust that even if He doesn't feel close, that He promised that if you draw close to Him, He is close to you?
He wants to be by your side today. He's a name that can be trusted and relied on. Philippians chapter 2 says that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
You can trust the name of Jesus. There is great power in it. May you proclaim the power of Jesus in your life today. He is by your side. He will not abandon you, and He is walking with you through this journey that you're going through today. Trust Him through it.