We continue discussing on the names of God that can impart strength and faith to us on our journey this year. Understanding the names of God will invariably deepen our relationship with Him. When Moses was sent to deliver the Israelites, God first introduced His name to him for the simple reason that the people will understand Him with a name that they can comprehend. The third name of God found in Psalm 23 is like the second, “He leads me beside quiet waters” (God of Peace), peace and security in our relationships will always be frail without Jesus as the cornerstone; if we forget one morning that every peace we have is a direct result of our relationship with God, we will wake up one morning with our heads about to be hanged. One day, David wake up in his palace and he forgot that all the peace and the prosperity he got came from the Lord, he indulged looking at a woman bathing near his palace. In his later years, because of this sin, David indeed woke up almost about to be killed by his own son, Absalom.

Obedience is required to the highest degree for those in authority; one moment of sin cannot be allowed to persist in our knowing. How do we translate that in the lowly farmer? God provides the rainwater he needs; trying to cheat on others because of lack of water will only cause conflict with others. Instead of relying on your instinct to haul in the solution, consult the Lord first for the conflicts you’re in. For those in the office, learn to obey your masters, develop relationships with them instead of murmuring or talking to yourself or to others alone about a problem, bring it to him. Love him because he cares for you; without him, you do not have one job to do. One key to success is becoming obedient and reliable servant to your masters. As a graduate student, the key to my success is in finding the right advisers; those whom I trust could help me also. God seeks to bring peace on earth, but first by having us reconciled with Him. His peace is evident on all who calls upon Him because they trust in His counsel and wisdom.

Again we are reminded that every peace and security results from the hand of God working for us, “In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For Thou alone, O Lord, dost make me to dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8). In the fourth name of God revealed in Psalm 23, “He restores my soul” (God who Heals) He lets us know that He can heal us, every sickness and affliction is not beyond remedy because "He Himself took our infirmities, and carried away our diseases" (Matt 8:17). Just think about how great God did for our sicknesses? He actually carried them away, nailed them on the cross so that no sickness or disease is beyond cure. Cancer melts in His hands, no sickness in the blood, skin, bones, senses or brain could stand before the blood of Jesus Christ because by His stripes we have been healed! Every time my children got sick, sometimes it is heart rending to see them in such condition.

But how much is my heavenly father grieving for them? I believe so much more. But I do not lose heart and in fact I pray for them, my friends and family prays for them and we all stand in the blood of Christ that His promise of healing is perfect and restores their souls. The fifth one speaks of His righteousness, “He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (God of Righteousness). God is holy and right. He cannot dwell in darkness, confusion or compromises. He is always right that is the reason why the Christian faith cannot be compromised for the sake of religious plurality or unity. The Christian unity is more than the assembling of physical names and church sects; it is first, a spiritual union in Christ and love with the Brethren.

This cannot come by decrees in councils. Love when dictated is fragile, broken and at best not love at all. For us to dwell in righteousness, we must be freed from bondages that continue to hamper our progress in the Spirit. In the coming word for the week, I hope to address more of these things. Only by coming into His light can we receive the Spirit of holiness and only be being freed can we actually partake of His holiness. The first step is self-denial and the main reason for this is to worship Him, “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom 12:1-2).

We are born again, renewed in the image of Christ, freed from sin and bondage by His cross, but this is not a licence to be in bondage again to depravity. “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal 5:1). Righteousness is synonymous with holiness which is sometimes hard to understand because of the stereotypes created by religious men. However, this concept when grasp can actually pave the way for us to attain a higher level of walk with the Lord. We can only appreciate, enjoy God and appropriate the benefits of His redemption when we know them.