When I think about all the times that I hear the name of God in the course of a day, I cringe because maybe one or two of those times are said in prayer or praise. Most of the time when I hear God's name, it is in a curse or swear.
God gave us mouths to praise not to curse. How far we have come from the message of this psalm!
I wish we had the same respect for God's name as the Jewish people had, they never said it. This is why they were so upset with Jesus when he said that he was "I AM." They would use other terms that meant God such as Lord, Adonai.
I hope none of us is guilty of this, but I do know that many of my friends are, so I have a tendency to ask God's forgiveness when I hear someone take his name in vain.
The reason for the ban on speaking the name of God was because they believed that using a person's name gave them power over them.
Think about your name. If you hear someone call your name, what do you do?
I stop and look around to see who wants me. Often, it isn't even me they want, just someone with the same name.
It was worse when my children were little. If I heard a child's voice yell "MOM," that child had my immediate attention. I bet you parents did the same!
In today's world, parents are advised not to put their child's name on their clothing or backpacks because someone may call them by name and take advantage of them. Calling them by name makes the child think that the person must know them.
We need to make sure that we call upon God only when we are praising him, asking for forgiveness, thanking him for his blessings, and asking him for our needs or the needs of others.
