"OMG" = Profanity in God's Ears

Gonna step on some toes today. But sometimes we need a little toe-crunching to help us see things we've ignored or let slip or simply didn't know. Today I'm taking on the vastly popular phrase: "Oh my God!" You hear it on TV, on the radio, in movies. You hear it from friends and co-workers or even in your own home. You see it written in texts, Tweets and Facebook messages, usually shortened to "OMG." It's catchy, to be sure. It's easy to utter when you're surprised or scared or happy or whatever.

But I'm here to tell you: OMG = Profanity in God's ears.

From the very beginning, God was to be revered by man. And not just God himself, but his very name! In Genesis 4:26 we see that "men began to call on the name of the Lord." God himself told us not to misuse his name in Exodus 3:15 and Deuteronomy 5:11 when he gave us the Ten Commandments:

"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD your God will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." (NIV)

I like the way the Message Bible puts it:

"No using the name of GOD, your God, in curses or silly banter; GOD won't put up with the irreverent use of his name."

King David declared "O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth." Psalm 8:1

The Prophet Joel wrote, "And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved." (2:32)

Jesus himself told us to pray, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name..." (Matthew 6:9) Merriam Webster defines "hallowed" as "holy, reverent, sacred." Jesus is telling us that God's name is holy.

This week I've been reading in the book of Ezekiel. In chapter 20 God is speaking to Ezekiel the Prophet about Jerusalem's disobedience. Three different times God says this about his name:

"But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations..." (v's 9, 14, 22) 

God's name is important to him! (Also see Ezekiel 36:21-23)

He doesn't want it misused. He doesn't want it to be the word-of-choice when we feel the need to utter an exclamation of some sort. He sure doesn't want it used as a curse word. In fact, Revelation 11:18 tells us God will reward "those who reverence your name."

While I'm on my soapbox I'll go ahead and add that the name of Jesus Christ is the same as God's name. Saying "Jesus" or "Jesus Christ" in a way that is irreverent is breaking the third commandment just as surely as if you had used the name of God. God is Jesus. Jesus is God. Keep his name holy!

It makes me sad when I hear God's name used in vain. And if it makes me sad, I can only imagine how God feels. =(

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This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:
USA, Germany, France, China, Vietnam, Latvia, Ireland, Kenya, Russia

Nothing Less Than ALL!

Gosh! I've gotta dust off the cobwebs from this blog! I guess I've been busy since I haven't posted since last Tuesday...but for the life of me I can't recall what I've been doing! Oh well.

I have been continuing my study of the book of Deuteronomy though. Yesterday I read chapter 30...and the coolest thing popped out at me! Remember that Moses is talking to the Israelites and telling them to obey God's laws, but he's also recording his words for us to read today! Take a look at a phrase he uses THREE times in this chapter.

"...with all your heart and with all your soul..." v. 3

"...with all your heart and with all your soul..." v. 6

"...with all your heart and with all your soul..." v. 10

But this is not the first time Moses used this phrase. Back in chapter 6 verse 5 he gives us one of the most memorable commands, which Jesus himself repeated in Matthew 22:37:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."

Moses again used the phrase "...with all your heart and with all your soul..." in Deut. 10:12.

Hmmm. Me thinks this is a phrase that was very important, not only to Moses, but to God!

Think about it.

Should God--the Creator of Everything!--settle for anything less than ALL?

Should we give God--the Creator of Everything!--anything less than ALL?

"Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart and with ALL your soul and with ALL your strength!"

Nothing less than ALL!

May you and yours have a Blessed Thanksgiving! We truly have so much to be thankful for!

"And now, O Israel..."

"And now, O Israel..."

And now.

Now.

What is Moses saying to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 10:12 with those simple words? I think it's pretty obvious. Now is the time to stop being a "stiff-necked" people! Now is the time to stop being rebellious! Now is the time to worship the One True God, who rescued them from Egypt and took care of them in the desert.

Now!

The whole verse says:

"And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it." (Deut. 10:12-14)

All these years later, God is not asking anything more of us than He did of His own people!

Now is the time to love God with all our hearts!!

Now is the time to stop living selfish, disobedient lives!!

Now is the time to acknowledge that your life belongs to God! He created you for His purposes!

And now, O Israel!

And now, O America!

And now, O human race!

"Impress them on your Children"

Almost nineteen years ago God allowed me to become a Mother. All these years later I still find that unbelievable! Me? A Mother?? I don't have the wisdom! I don't know what I'm doing! But, somehow, my boys continue to grow and become young men despite all my faults and failures as their Mother. You learn as you go. Yes, sometimes I make mistakes, but I can't give up. I'm their Mother. The only woman in the entire world who can claim that honor!

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 are verses that speak to me as a Mother. I have them highlighted in my Bible from years ago. I also keep a picture of my boys between these pages as a reminder of my responsibility as their Mother. Moses may have been talking to the Israelites when he spoke these words, but God made sure they were included in the Bible, His Word, so that we--so that I!--would read them and take them to heart. Because if I don't, then I believe it would be my biggest failure of all!

I'll share those verses here, first from the NIV (New International Version) and then from the Message. I'll let them speak for themselves.

"Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

"Attention, Israel! God, our God! God the one and only! Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that's in you, love him with all you've got!Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street, talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder, inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates."

Hear, O Israel.

Hear, O Mothers and Fathers.

There Is No Other!

I'm reading through the book of Deuteronomy these days. It's sort of a retelling of what happened with the Israelites through their forty years in the desert, which we just read in the book of Numbers. (To read blog posts on Numbers, scrowl down to Labels on your right and click on the label "Numbers.") But it also gives a bit more detail here and there, so it's not a book we should skip over or skim through. Lots of good nuggets tucked in those pages!

Today I was in chapter four. Two verses really stood out to me. So much so that I highlighted them with my trusty dusty green highlighter. Why green? Because green is a color that represents life and living things like plants and trees. When we see the color green it usually makes us think of something that is alive. I like to think of the verses I highlight in green in my Bible as being Life Giving verses. See if you agree:

"But if from there [the Promised Land] you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and soul." Deut. 4:29

And...

"Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other!" Deut. 4:39

That first verse is very similar to what God said in Jeremiah 29:13 after the Israelites were exiled from the Promised Land:

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

I'm thankful God isn't so elusive that we can't find him. That we can't know him. All it takes is looking for him with a sincere heart. On that day when we finally come to a true understanding that God is the God of heaven and of earth--and that there is no other God!--we will find Him.

For me, that day came back in May 1992. I'd been raised in a Christian home, went to church every Sunday, etc. etc., but I hadn't ever really sought God with my whole heart. I mean with my whole, entire heart! It was the day I stopped putting my life and wants and plans ahead of His. It was the day I wanted to really know who God is!

And you know what?

I found Him! Just like He said I would!

He is not the god whose name people take in vain. He is not the god of religions that don't acknowledge His Son, Jesus Christ. He is not the god whom people treat like Santa Claus, asking for this or that. He is not one of many gods.

Who is God?

"The Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other!"