It Starts Small

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is our guide. We have to acknowledge that without His direction we go astray. But by following His leadership, we honor His name.

Repeatedly we are instructed to live for God’s name sake:

He renews my life;
he leads me along the right paths^[a]
for his name’s sake.

Psalm 23:3
(Bold for emphasis)

God guides us for his name’s sake.

Lord, for the sake of your name,
forgive my iniquity, for it is immense.

Psalm 25:11
(Bold for emphasis)

God forgives our sins for his name sake.

For you are my rock and my fortress;
you lead and guide me
for your name’s sake.

Psalm 31:3
(Bold for emphasis)

God leads us for the sake of his name.

God of our salvation, help us,
for the glory of your name.
Rescue us and atone for our sins,
for your name’s sake.

Psalm 79:9
(Bold for emphasis)

God delivers us from sin for his name’s sake.

But you, Lord, my Lord,
deal kindly with me for your name’s sake;
because your faithful love is good, rescue me.

Psalm 109:21
(Bold for emphasis)

God deals with us out of his goodness for his name’s sake.

For your name’s sake, Lord,
let me live.
In your righteousness deliver me from trouble,

Psalm 143:11
(Bold for emphasis)

God lets us live for his name’s sake.

God does what he does for his sake, not ours.

We often want to know and do God’s will, want forgiveness and deliverance of sin, and life on this planet for our sake.

Why?

Because we think, if we have all of those things it will make us happy, cause us to be blessed, give us provision. God says, “I want to give you these things – but not for your sake, but for my sake.”

We exist as God’s people, alive and thriving in God’s kingdom, to embody his name. When God acts for his name’s sake, He is acting in accordance with His revealed character and to uphold the honor of his revelation, which has been staked upon his people.

Let’s take a closer look at Psalm 23 – The Shepherd Psalm. As we studied previously, the LORD is my Shepherd. Think about sheep and shepherds for a moment. Sheep exist for the benefit of the shepherd? Sheep were lead into zones of comfort in order to be prepared for zones of discomfort. In other words, sheep were expected to produce a profit for the shepherd. The shepherd took care of the sheep, not for the sheep’s benefit but for the shepherd’s needs.

Likewise, we, God’s sheep, exist for God, the Shepherd. To change or alter that relationship in any way would turn us into idolaters, where we use God for our benefit, rather than allowing God to use us for his benefit. We live for him. God’s reputation is at stake by the way his followers live.

We are his hands and feet in the world. We are his ambassadors. We represent God to a watching world. When we fail to live righteously we are hurt, but the name of God is hurt more. When we fail to take God’s lead we are damaged, but the reputation of God is damage greater.

When we understand the relationship we have with God, then we look to Him in a different light. We see him through His name that benefit and provide for us. We look to him as:

He in whom I trust
He that calls you
He that speaks
He that is mighty
He that is true
He that gives strength and power unto his people

Knowing Him and His name, we know the special bond that we have with him – a bond that a sheep has with a shepherd. The shepherd protects and cares and calls his sheep by name. We are to know God’s name and by the same token the God of the Universe knows each one of us by name. We are His.

God doesn’t lead us through green pastures and along still waters just for our sake. It’s all for His name’s sake and for His glory alone. We can only benefit from it all because of His grace.

The next time you’re feeling frantic and stressed and you’re wondering how you’re going to make it through the day, remember Psalm 23:2. Allow God the Shepherd to guide you along His paths knowing He has everything in control. He knows what you need and He’ll help you get there. All you need to do is trust Him. Your green pastures and still waters are closer than you think.

Trust. Believe. Rest.