Lesson 14 - Blessed by the Lord’s Name

Exodus 20:24 (NIV)
"Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you."

What a promise. Wherever and whenever the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is lifted up by the church in worship, God will come and bring blessing. Never underestimate the importance of worship, for God meets his people when we come with open hearts before his throne.

As with Israel in their wilderness wanderings, existing without a home, there is no place we may go where God will not meet those who call upon his name. Whereas life may be for you somewhat unsettled, God's presence is the blessing that can always be counted on.

While most of us are not nomadic, we face enough challenges in life to recognize we need a God big enough to be there no matter what. We need a God who is always there when we call upon his name. We need a God who will not abandon his people and leave them to struggle in a time of need. I'm not talking about a God who serves as our own personal genie, but a God who is above all the chaos of this world, bringing stability where none is to be found.

Notice that this blessing comes with a condition. God presents himself and blesses only when we come before him in true, evidenced when we bring an offering for our sins and our desire for fellowship. While there remains no sacrifice for New Testament believers, with Christ presenting his own body for sin, once for all, the principle of coming with a sacrifice on our lips still remains, for our Lord desires the right heart attitude when we call upon his name, that of grateful humility.

I don't think this is one of those promises for Israel alone, but a blessing which still rings true for the church today. Wherever the name of the Lord is proclaimed, Jesus meets us there. In our lives, we need to be a people where the Lord's name is honored, and if we will do so, the Lord will bless us with his abiding presence.