Long ago, the God of the Bible revealed to Moses that there is something worthy of respect and reverence. In Exodus 20:7, God demanded that His name be honored when He said, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.”
So we see that we are to honor and respect the name of God, our heavenly Father. In a beautiful acrostic poem in the Psalms, we find the words, “Holy and awesome is His name” (Psalm 111:9). The original Hebrew word for “awesome” means “to fear” (as in respect), or “to revere or be in reverence toward.” Jesus said the same as He instructed His disciples on how to address God, “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name” (Matthew 6:9). He meant that we should be very careful how we use God’s name. We should not cheapen it. We should not assign God’s name to things that do not pertain to Him or to things of which He would not approve.
Imagine what a positive impact it would have on society if these principles were applied to entertainment, literature and our daily conversations. It would eliminate profanity in speech and prevent euphemisms which creep into our vocabulary. How much more positive our daily walk would be if we kept our Creator and His desires in our mind.
God further states, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12). This kind of respect for parents is decidedly old-fashioned, but think of the wonderful lessons that could be learned and the happiness it would bring if families were built on this solid foundation. If young people would reflect upon how their actions affect their parents, and carefully protected their family’s name, many foolish and sinful acts would be avoided, preventing much pain, suffering and strife within families.
Are there absolutes? Is there something you can count on? Yes! The prophet Malachi was inspired when he wrote, “For I am the Lord, I do not change” (Malachi 3:6).
While much of the present world is adrift without a spiritual anchor or foundation, there is coming a time in which there will be a way of life based on having respect and reverence for the God of the Bible and His ways. Those living at that time will have teachers who will show them how to live. Isaiah wrote about this in his prophecy about the Kingdom of God on the earth: “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21). God speed that day!