Like many people, Psalm 23 is a favorite of mine.  As I was reading it earlier today, the last four words of  verse 3 caught my attention:  The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

When left to themselves, those last four words, “for His names sake” are just a vanilla phrase.  To really see the beauty of God, it helps to take a quick look at His name.  As written in the Hebrew language of the Old Testament, the names of God are colorful and explicit in their terminology, and they emphasize the way He interacts with His creation:

• Jehovah-rophe (the Lord who heals you)
• Jehovah-raah (the caring Shepherd)
• Jehovah-jireh (the will provide)
• Jehovah-shalom (the Lord is peace)

Take these four names of God and make a personal application to your life:

• When you are struggling with emotional or physical issues, you can call out to Jevovah-rophe.
• When you feel like you’re alone and no one cares, Jehovah-raah is present.
• When you don’t know where to turn or what to do, Jehovah-jireh will provide.
• When the world seems to be shattered and crumbling beneath your feet, Jehovah-shalom is the peace in the eye of the storm.

I hope a focus on “his name’s sake”  will be at the center of your thoughts today.