On occasion as I handle my sound duties at church, or as I'm preparing during the week, I'll think about the songs we're singing that Sunday. Imagine that? Actually considering the words to the praise songs that are being sung to God! Usually I find myself too busy to deal in such trivial matters (!) but every once in a while it'll happen.
Anyway, I've always loved the song 'Blessed Be Your Name.' I'm sure most of you have either heard it or sung it. Great style and rhythm, starts lite, builds to a crescendo, then a strong finish! Finely crafted song! But let's do a word study for a few moments....
"Blessed be Your name,
In a land that is plentiful,
Where Your streams of abundance flow,
Blessed be Your name."
I love those Facebook updates where people are talking about some aspect of their life at that moment and how blessed they are.
“Sitting on the porch with my husband, watching the sunset. I’m blessed.”
“Watching my kids play in the park and my youngest runs up and gives me a hug and tells me he loves me. I’m blessed!”
“Playing games with family and friends. I’m blessed!”
And on and on. We’ve all seen them, and we would definitely agree…those are blessed times.Your health is good. Your family is running smoothly. Maybe you’re pregnant and the future is looking rosy. Your bank account isn't suffering, your house has just sold for more than you asked…Utopia! Nirvana (not the singing group!)! Nay, 'Heavenly!'
"Every blessing you pour out I'll turn back to praise!"
Great stuff!
Great stuff!
But...the song doesn't end there, does it? Dang it!!There is a second part of the verse.
'Blessed be Your name,
When I'm found in the desert place,
When I walk through the wilderness,
Blessed be Your name.'
Hmmm…
Job said in his book in chapter 1 and verse 22, "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." And from OUR point of view (not being in the middle of his problems), we can definitely agree. “Doesn’t matter what’s happening, Job. Continue to bless God’s name! You hang in there. Don’t lose the faith! Semper fi, my brother!” We have the safety of being the posterity that his story was written for.
And when we sing the song, I don't doubt that a part of us actually means the words. We are deeply committed to praising and blessing God even in the hard times…as long as they’re not THAT hard! As long as they don’t severely rock us off the comfortable road we’re on. We might even sing the song loudly, maybe raise our hands, our hearts and souls filled with love for God and His will, whatever it might be.
But it's safe in there.
It's church.
But if we want to be …real…be the type of Christian and follower of God that Job was…well, try these ‘updates’ on for size…
“The bump the doctor removed from our child's neck came back from pathology, and he wants to talk with us. He didn’t sound encouraged. But, we’re blessed!”
“The bump the doctor removed from our child's neck came back from pathology, and he wants to talk with us. He didn’t sound encouraged. But, we’re blessed!”
“The house sale fell through. We’re back to square one! But we’re blessed!”
“I’m headed to the lawyer’s office to sign the final divorce papers. I really don’t want this…but God is still on the throne!”
Or these phone calls you get on an idle Tuesday…
Your wife is at the obstetrician and she's crying, and not in a happy way...
Your boss calls you in unexpectedly and asks you to shut the door...
The police have found your child at the wrong place doing the wrong thing...
Job’s entries might read something like this…
“Just got word that all my animals have been stolen and the ranch hands killed. Be praying for me and their families. I don’t know what I’m going to do. But, God’s name be blessed.”
“A tornado destroyed my son’s house. All my kids and their families were there. None survived. My wife and I can barely breath. I don’t understand and I want to curse God...but He has a reason. I will still bless His name.”
"When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I'm gonna say,
Blessed be the name of the Lord"
Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4, talking about the power of God in us, starting in verse 8, "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but NOT FORSAKEN; struck down, but not destroyed...
"Jesus Himself said in John 16:33, "In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." He was giving us His peace!
The song ends with these word over and over...
"Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be Your name.
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be Your Glorious name."
That’s an update we can all post!
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