We often talk about praising the name of Jesus, but what does that really mean? To better understand what it means to praise the name of Jesus, should we not know what the name Jesus means? Jesus - Yeshua in Hebrew - literally means salvation. Salvation from what? Salvation from eternal separation from God due to the debt we owed for our sin! Salvation from the lies of the enemy that lead us into sin! Salvation from fear and doubt and salvation that brings with it purpose and meaning to our very existence! Salvation in the day to day storms and circumstances of life! Of course, that is merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fully understanding the meanings of the name of Jesus…but it’s a great starting place!

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalm 18:2 NASB

Jesus is my Savior and, oh, so much more. Jesus is simply THE Answer to the questions of life! He is God. We are not. It is when we know Jesus intimately that we find light in the dark times of life, shelter in the storms of life, comfort in the grieving times of life, and hope in the confusing times of life. It is faith in Christ that I find my identity and my purpose and every need of my life met. Does that mean I always understand why He allows certain things in my life? No. I have learned to trust Him even when I don’t understand. Again, I remind myself, He is God and I am not! That is the perspective of true freedom. I no longer have to perform for His acceptance. I perform BECAUSE I am accepted. I am not here for my glory…but for His. That is why I praise the name of Jesus with my life.
We are called to be ambassadors for Christ. We are called to live our lives in such a way as to draw others to the same loving and redeeming Savior we have come to know. There is no shame in admitting what God has brought us out of - a past of sin - and what He has brought us into - a brand new identity and life. If we don’t declare the Good News of Jesus, how will those who Need Him ever hear or see?

Romans 1:16 NASB says, 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

We should never be ashamed to utter the name of Jesus. After all, He is THE Answer for the world…THE Answer for sin…THE Answer for restoration…THE Answer for sorrow…THE Answer for suffering…THE Answer for everything we need. We were not promised an easy life when we came to know Christ. After all, He asked us to take up our cross and follow Him, but He did say He would be with us through the course of our life, promising to never leave us and to never forsake us. We can take that to the bank!
After His resurrection, Jesus came to his eleven disciples and said this in [Mat 28:19-20 NASB] 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Jesus is our hope. We must learn to seek Him and His kingdom first in all areas of our lives. When we do that, we come to the place of being able to see life and its circumstances from His point of view…and in the process of living out that relationship with Christ, all our needs will be met.

Matthew 6:33-34 NASB says 33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Let’s not waste another second worrying about the circumstances of our lives. Let’s not waste another second walking in fear or dread about what tomorrow may or may not hold. Let’s simply do what Proverbs 18:10 says:

The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
The righteous runs into it and is safe.

Let’s call upon the name of Jesus and watch Him live up to HIs name in our lives. Let’s trust Him to be Who He says He is. Just live your love for Jesus out loud by extending that love to those around you. That is what an ambassador does. He/she represents their Savior to the world around them!
Dennis Jernigan

To hear a song about the name of Jesus and to hear more about the meaning of His name, listen to The Dennis Jernigan Podcast at http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/yeshua-1589902882/

Photo courtesy of https://pixabay.com/photos/jesus-nameplate-ceramic-wall-jesus-8283/