I Carry The Name!

 

1 Samuel 17:45.

In this text, David says these words to Goliath (the one he would go up against despite the challenge of difficulty). “David replied, ‘You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies - the God of the armies of Israel, whose you have defiled.”

David is saying - “Look, you can come at me with whatever you have. Power, strength, an army, might, height… whatever… but what I come to you with is better than that - I come with the NAME of my Father God!”

In modern day terms that don’t include physical combat, but are important none-the-less, “Look, you come at me with what you have. Harsh words, anger, retaliation, fear-mongering, judgement, shaming, gossip, lies… whatever… but what I comets you with is better than that - I come with the NAME of my Father God!”

Now take a look at another verse I was just studying the other day that I connected to this one.

It’s found in Acts 3:6. It is the story of a lame man who was begging for alms outside of the Temple gate. When he saw Peter and John walk by he asked them for some money. And Peter’s response is this, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”

Peter is saying - “Look, I don’t have what you have come looking for, but actually what you need that you might not even realize yet, is Jesus. I don’t have a lot - but what I DO have and am coming to you with is better than that - I come with the NAME of Jesus Christ. I carry Him into the environment and today I give Him to you. Get up and walk!”

In modern day terms that might be, “Look, I might not have what you think you’re looking for. I don’t have lots of money, a fancy title behind my name, or strategic power that could benefit you at all, but what I do have is Jesus Christ - and I can show you, too, how to know this Messiah who saves.”

Isn’t this good??


In both narratives there was a want and a divine solution.
One was the want of a good fight, and the other was the want of tangible provisions.
Both wants weren’t necessarily wrong, they just weren’t the “greater” or the “better” desire.

And in both scenarios, the NAME the individual carried superseded everything else.
The name of God!

And so I ask myself the question - Am I carrying Him Well into every environment I enter?
Am I offering Him to every person I encounter?

Sword, Spear, and Javelin I need not use…
Gold and silver I have not…
But what I will use and what I do have is the name above all names!!!
And that… is enough!