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For His Name's Sake - That's Resolve

 Psalm 23:3 – “He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.”

The Great Shepherd leads us on paths of righteousness so we can discover our purpose. In John 14:26 the Holy Spirit is identified as our teacher. He will help us to define our true purpose. John 16:13 says, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”


What did the Psalmist mean by the phrase, For His name’s sake? Psalm 23:3 says, “He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” He restores us for His name’s sake, He leads us in truth and righteousness for His name’s sake. Psalms 25:11 says, “For Your name’s sake, O Lord, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.”


The following Scriptures show how God uses His mighty power for His name’s sake:


·      1 Samuel 12:22 – “For the Lord will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people.”

·      Psalms 106:8 – “Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake,
That He might make His mighty power known.”

·      Psalms 79:9 – “Help us, O God of our salvation, For the glory of Your name; And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, For Your name’s sake!”

·      I John 2:12 – “I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.”


Rick Ezell writes in an article, The Power of Praying in God’s Name, “We exist as God's people, alive and thriving in God's kingdom, to embody his name. When God acts for his name's sake, he is acting in accordance with his revealed character and to uphold the honor of his revelation, which has been staked upon his people.”


Ezell continues, “One of God's names is Jehovah-Rohi, The Lord our Shepherd. Think about sheep and shepherds for a moment. Sheep exist for the benefit of the shepherd. Sheep were led into zones of comfort to be prepared for zones of discomfort. In other words, sheep were expected to produce a profit for the shepherd. The shepherd took care of the sheep, not for the sheep's benefit but for the shepherd's needs. Likewise, we, God's sheep, exist for God, the Shepherd. To change or alter that relationship in any way would turn us into idolaters, where we use God for our benefit, rather than allowing God to use us for his benefit. We live for him.”[1]


Our resolve as believers is to allow the Holy Spirit to lead and direct us into paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. 

 

 



[1] Ezell, Rick, The Power of Praying in God’s Name, https://www.lifeway.com/en/articles/sermon-power-praying-4-for-his-names-sake


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