What’s in a Name?

“O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.” (Psalm 8.1)

Some years ago while pastoring in North Carolina, my wife and I were considering having a house built. Since we were quite young and inexperienced, I asked one of the men in our church, Larry, for advice in selecting a contractor. Larry’s response was immediate. The name he gave me was a man from my home church, Mr. Frye, who had taught me in Sunday School and whose children I had grown up with. He went on to tell me that he had sketched out his idea of a floor plan on a paper grocery bag and Mr. Frye built the house from that (without an architect’s approved plans and without any of the “modern” paper work). Larry and Mr. Frye shook hands and the job was done. After the job was finished, Larry mentioned that there were not enough scraps left over to build a respectable fire.

That was in the early 80s. Twenty years later, after my family had been in Summerville for a few years were looking to relocate. We found a property owned by a wonderful Christian couple and began offering and counter-offering. We finally came to an agreed upon price, completed all the paper work, and met to finalize the deal. At the meeting, some needed repairs were brought out (amounting to a couple thousand dollars) and I could sense the tension in the room (neither from the sellers nor from us). The two brokers and the attorney took a deep breath. Our seller said he would take care of all the repairs; I said, “OK,” and we shook hands. With a ream of paperwork on the table, the sale was finalized with a handshake.

It seems that many do not realize the importance of one’s reputation. What is in a name? The contractor, Mr. Frye, had a name that spoke volumes about his credibility. Because our seller had a good name, we could shake hands and seal a deal that dumbfounded the cynics.

I am often confused by people, who claimed to believe in the Sovereignty of God, who would rather take marriage advice from someone who has been married six times or to take advice on child-rearing from someone whose children are out of control. I have never understood why someone would accept counseling from someone who knows nothing of the Bible.

The reputation of God is one that is perfect in every situation – His Word and advice are quite sufficient for every area of life. He has stood the test of time and He has never been wrong. Whether your situation concerns marriage, child-rearing, or where you should be on Sunday morning, God Word has the answer – His way is perfect. Never settle for second or third best; always trust the One Whose name is Excellent!

“O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8.1, 9)