The LORD is His Name

“For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind,
    and declares to man what is his thought,
who makes the morning darkness,
    and treads on the heights of the earth—
    the LORD, the God of hosts, is his name!”

“He who made the Pleiades and Orion,
    and turns deep darkness into the morning
    and darkens the day into night,
who calls for the waters of the sea
    and pours them out on the surface of the earth,
the LORD is his name;
who makes destruction flash forth against the strong,
    so that destruction comes upon the fortress…

Seek good, and not evil,
    that you may live;
and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you,
    as you have said.
Hate evil, and love good,
    and establish justice in the gate;
it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts,
    will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”

“The LORD God of hosts,
he who touches the earth and it melts,
    and all who dwell in it mourn,
and all of it rises like the Nile,
    and sinks again, like the Nile of Egypt;
who builds his upper chambers in the heavens
    and founds his vault upon the earth;
who calls for the waters of the sea
    and pours them out upon the surface of the earth—
the LORD is his name.” Amos 4:13; 5:8-9,14-15; 9:5-6

A name signifies identity, and makes an entity known. With each mention of his name and each description Amos gives, more is revealed about the LORD, his Lord. Omniscient creator, God of hosts, powerful Sustainer of life and creation, Ruler and Judge of earth, the LORD is His name!

And if these things are true about the Lord, what keeps us from bowing before Him? From worship for His mighty arm, the splendor of His mind? From fear and honor before His power? From trusting the only One who is absolutely trustworthy? From loving Him because He first loved us? The LORD is His name! (1 John 4:19)

Our problem is that we get busy and fettered in our daily lives and forget to relate to Him. We buzz along in the horizontal and neglect the vertical. We forsake spiritual communion because our feelings get wrapped up in offense and frenzy. We fail to recognize His hand in the details of our work, relationships, and play, His leading and supply in our industry and plans. The LORD is His name, and it is written on all we see and experience, if only we would look.

What would happen if we started to see others as those created by this Lord? If we stopped parading superficial or controversial identities and instead identified as image bearers? What stirs up dissension and hatred is the waving of specific banners in pomp, superiority, or you-have-to-celebrate-me arcs. We spout opinions and demand agreement. But if we were secure in who we really are, deep down, in relation to the LORD, high and lifted up, we would see and embrace each other with divine perspective. The LORD is His name over all!

LORD, may I recall and sing and praise Your great, strong, and matchless name all my days!