LEARNING DAILY

 

Philippians 2:9-11, Therefore God also has highly exalted Him given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

I have met and briefly talked with some really big named people.  Let me throw out some names to see if you remember them.  I have met Tom Landry at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting.  I have met John Wooden at a basketball clinic.  I have had breakfast with Sam Walton and also had him tell me he was not happy with the sales numbers for my area of responsibility in a store.  Sometimes I tell people this because I want them to be impressed by who I have met.  By the way, don’t be!

 

There is something about a person’s name; it is really interesting with what your name means.  In history some character quality might be associated with the name.  Proverbs 22:1 tells us, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches.”  Ecclesiastes 7:1, “A good name is better than precious ointment.”  What do people associate your name with when they hear it?

 

Any time you read a verse of Scripture that begins with therefore, you need to go back and read the previous verses.  Jesus “humbled Himself to become obedient to the point of death on a cross”.  Because He did so God “has highly exalted Him given Him the name which is above every name”.   Jesus is honored above everyone and everything ever created.  It is important to see that God has ordered all to worship His Son not because He is God but because of His obedience.

 

Did you understand that all would bow at the name of Jesus and every tongue will confess Him as Lord?  That means everyone from Adam and Eve will bow and confess.  What a privilege it has been to be in the family of God, to bow and confess Him the Lord of my life.  I do so knowing He is well pleased when I do.

 

What will it be like for those who have denied that Jesus is Lord and will not confess He is Lord?  No one in God’s universe will escape this bowing to and confessing who Jesus is.  All will bow – willingly or be made to.  I look at the news and know many will be made to.  In doing so they have chosen their own destiny.  Better to decide now who Jesus Christ is and bow willingly rather than to be made to bow and made to recognize that He is Lord.