DRAWING NEAR
March 16
Hallowing God's Name
"Hallowed be Thy name" (Matt. 6:9).
God is holy and deserves your highest respect and your humble
obedience.
To most people the word hallowed elicits thoughts of Halloween, ivy
-covered walls, or starchy religious traditions. But those are all
far from its biblical meaning. "Hallowed" in Matthew 6:9 translates a
Greek word that means "holy." When Christ said, "Hallowed be Thy
name," He was saying in effect, "May Your name be regarded as holy."
When you hallow God's name, you set it apart from everything common
and give Him the place He deserves in your life.
Throughout Scripture, holiness is attributed to persons or things
that are consecrated to God's service. The Sabbath day, for example,
was to be kept holy--set apart from the other days (Ex. 20:8). The
Israelite priests were to be considered holy because they rendered
special service to the Lord (Lev. 21:8). As believers in Christ we
are to be holy because we belong to God (1 Pet. 1:15).
Holiness also speaks of moral excellence and purity. God is called
the "Holy One" (1 Pet. 1:15) not only because He is set apart from
His creation, but also because He is pure and sinless in His
character. That's why Isaiah pronounced a curse on himself when he
saw the Lord and heard the angels crying out, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is
the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory" (Isa.
6:3-5). He was overcome with a sense of his own human sinfulness in
the presence of a holy God.
Such a God deserves your highest respect and reverence. He is your
gracious and loving Father, but He is also the sovereign, majestic
God of the universe. Consequently, you must guard against thinking of
Him as a buddy or addressing Him flippantly.
Additionally, He deserves your humble obedience. You hallow His name
only when your life is marked by righteousness and moral excellence.
May that be true of you today, and may you seek to honor Him in all
that you do!
Suggestions for Prayer:
Always approach God with a sense of respect and reverence. Think of
specific ways that you can hallow His name today. Ask Him for the
grace to do so.
For Further Study:
Read each of these verses, noting the specific ways you can glorify
God: Joshua 7:19, Psalm 50:23, John 15:8, Romans 15:5-6, 1
Corinthians 6:20, Philippians 2:9-11, and 2 Thessalonians 3:1.
Drawing Near, Copyright c 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Exodus 20:8 (NKJV)
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Leviticus 21:8
Therefore you shall consecrate him, for he offers the bread of your
God. He shall be holy to you, for I the LORD, who sanctify you, am
holy.
1 Peter 1:15-16
15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your
conduct,
16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."
Isaiah 6:3-5
3 And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD
of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!"
4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who
cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of
unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts."
Joshua 7:19
Now Joshua said to Achan, "My son, I beg you, give glory to the LORD
God of Israel, and make confession to Him, and tell me now what you
have done; do not hide it from me."
Psalm 50:23
Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct
aright I will show the salvation of God."
John 15:8
By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will
be My disciples.
Romans 15:5-6
5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be
like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus,
6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 6:20
For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body
and in your spirit, which are God's.
Philippians 2:9-11
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name
which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in
heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
2 Thessalonians 3:1
Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run
swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you.
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
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In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
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To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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