Day 63/365- Numbers 14:15-16

"What's in a name?"

Now if you slaughter all these people with a single blow, the nations that have heard of your fame will say, `The Lord was not able to bring them into the land he swore to give them, so he killed them in the wilderness.' (Numbers 14:15, 16 NLT)

The people have rebelled. They again have sinned against the Lord. Talk about not being able to choose the consequences of sin. They are told they will not enter the land that God has promised to give the descendants of Abraham. Furthermore, they again say they wished they were back in Egypt. What's more, God again has a heart to destroy them & start again with Moses. The people even desire to stone Caleb & Joshua, the only two spies that are with God.

Notice however Moses' reply. He does not ask God to simply spare their lives. He does not ask for their rebellion not to be taken into account. Moses' main argument for why God should spare his people is his own glory. He tells God that if he destroys his people, God's name will be ridiculed & defamed among the nations.

Of all the difficulty that could come into our lives. Of all the sin & consequences that we have to endure. God's name is what is most injured whenever we sin. That a Christian would be the cause of defaming God's name is the single most tragic thing that could happen in their life. No loss of goods or life can compare with the defaming of God's name. That others would mock or turn from him based on the poor reflection we have been of his nature & character is nothing short of tragic. It has eternal consequences. It would be better for us to never name the name Christian than to consistently drag it through the mud.

This doesn't mean that we will be perfect. But it does mean that the aim & pattern of our lives are ones of honoring God with them. We are still sinners in need of a Savior & all of us bring some measure of disgrace to him daily but it is my sincere prayer that God would kill me before I ever ruin his name with my godless living.

What is there in our lives that could reflect poorly on God? How seriously do we take his name? What life change is God calling us to in order to repent of the disgrace we have brought his name?