Hallow Him

After all that powerful pondering last week on God’s children being inviolable through Christ - sacred - holy and indestructible - I felt compelled to give gratitude and praise to the Source of our sacredness. I was overwhelmed with the yearning to give glory to the giver of life. Then it occurred to me our Savior Jesus presented that offering of honor in the prayer He taught His disciples: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Of course I immediately hunted for hallowed in my new, vintage Webster. (If you didn’t hear about my most recent thrift store gem, read last week’s letter.)

hallowed - honored as sacred; made holy or sacred. So to hallow His name means to regard it as holy; to honor Him as sacred.

Oh Father, teach us to honor Your name. To esteem You. To value You highly. To have great regard for Your holiness and your sacredness.

sacred - granted the respect of holy things

So there it is. Respect. Honor. Reverence. That mindset is surely counter to the world’s petty preoccupations to which we often succumb.

Pointless political debate.

Sensational sex scandals.

Hollywood’s eternal drama.

Even sports spectators can become obsessed.

But the Good Word is clear we are called to regularly revere His name. To honor Him. To humble ourselves under His Almighty hand. (I Peter 5:6) To worship and bow down; to kneel before the LORD, our Maker, says Psalm 95:6. My friend Mr. Webster offers quite the dissertation on honor: high regard or great respect given or received; glory; renown; chastity and purity; distinction; to respect greatly and regard highly; to worship and exalt

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name…

Humbly I sit quietly, meditating intently on this piece of Jesus’ prayer. Ya’ll know, I’m prone to substitute words to stir my mind and spirit:

My Father, I honor your name.

I worship Your name.

May You, oh Father, always be regarded with honor and glory. Only Thou art holy.

You are Yahweh. The great I AM.

My heart is humbled. I bow in awe.

Maker of heaven and earth, I feel unworthy. Inadequate. Words truly cannot express.

Yet He tells me to call Him Father. Daddy! Who am I that He would be mindful of me?

“I love you, Gracie” I hear Him whisper, “more than you can imagine. And nothing will ever change that. Not difficult days. Tragedy. Natural disaster or the evils of men. Nothing in all creation will ever separate you from my love. You are precious in My eyes, and I love you.”

A tear trickles. My nose needs a tissue. No words can convey my overwhelming gratitude. All I can do is whisper the familiar words, “How can I say thanks for the things You have done for me? Things so undeserved that you gave to prove Your love for me?”

Sisters and brothers, you are loved by the One who one day will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. (I Thes. 4:16) Does that not crumble you?

Give Him glory, Church. Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do ALL to the glory of God. (I Cor. 10:31) Be still and KNOW. Sit quietly and hallow His name. I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise. (Is 43:20-21)

Praise Him Church. He is worthy.

Live Well,

Grace