Johnny Cash: "A Boy Named Sue"

This song proves how important a person's name is. Some parents give their child a name which becomes a stigma for the poor child. Such is the case in this country hit which you can hear here.

Unlike the father in the song, our heavenly Father understands the value of a person's name. As he inspired Solomon to write in Proverbs 22:1 (Bible in Basic English), "A good name is more to be desired than great wealth, and to be respected is better than silver and gold."

And unlike that absent father, our Father doesn't deliberately anger his spiritual children. As Paul advised human fathers in Ephesians 6:4 (BBE), "And, you fathers, do not make your children angry: but give them training in the teaching and fear of the Lord."

God, with good reason, is protective about his name. Look at what Leviticus 19:12 (BBE) warns. "And do not take an oath in my name falsely, putting shame on the name of your God: I am the Lord."

Back when the scriptures were penned, children were given meaningful names. We read of one example in Genesis 27:36 (BBE) when Esau found out how Jacob swindled him out of his birthright blessing. "And he said, 'Is it because he is named Jacob that he has twice taken my place? for he took away my birthright, and now he has taken away my blessing.' And he said, 'Have you not kept a blessing for me?'"

Johnny Cash: "A Boy Named Sue"Another example of a meaningful name was given by the wife of Phinehas when she gave birth. We read in 1 Samuel 4:20 and 21 (BBE), "And when she was very near death the women who were with her said, 'Have no fear, for you have given birth to a son.' But she made no answer and gave no attention to it. And she gave the child the name of Ichabod, saying, 'The glory has gone from Israel': because the ark of God was taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband."

If the name above all names hasn't returned by Thursday, I expect to post about a reporter headed for Vietnam back in the seventies.

Johnny Cash: "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down"

    This song is about an outsider's view of average people living their lives on a Sunday morning. He certainly felt alone. Check out this excellent song from 1970 here.

All through the Bible, believers are admonished to be kind to strangers, such as the man in the song. Exodus 22:21 (Bible in Basic English) is just one example. "Do no wrong to a man from a strange country, and do not be hard on him; for you yourselves were living in a strange country, in the land of Egypt."

Kindness to the outcast is so highly regarded in Scripture that Christ said this in Matthew 25:34 and 35 (BBE). "Then will the King say to those on his right, 'Come, you who have the blessing of my Father, into the kingdom made ready for you before the world was: For I was in need of food, and you gave it to me: I was in need of drink, and you gave it to me: I was wandering, and you took me in;'"

We whom Christ rescued and adopted are spiritual outcasts in whichever society we live in. As we read about the saints of old in Hebrews 11:13 (BBE), "All these came to their end in faith, not having had the heritage; but having seen it with delight far away, they gave witness that they were wanderers and not of the earth."

For that purpose of adoption, the Lord called even non Jews into his family. As we read in Ephesians 2:11 and 12 (BBE), "For this reason keep it in mind that in the past you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are looked on as being outside the circumcision by those who have circumcision, in the flesh, made by hands; That you were at that time without Christ, being cut off from any part in Israel's rights as a nation, having no part in God's agreement, having no hope, and without God in the world."

As for Hebrews 13:2 (BBE), This doesn't mean that some strangers are angels in disguise. "Take care to keep open house: because in this way some have had angels as their guests, without being conscious of it." This is an admonishment toward hospitality."

If our Lord hasn't come by Thursday, I'll hopefully post about my favourite pastime: radio.

Saturday Song: Johnny Cash, "Guess Things Happen That Way"

Life sure can seem unfair. People who we feel ought to drop dead live on for decades while loved ones die young. Worse yet, these departed family members and friends had so much potential which they never had the time to realize.

Hear Johnny Cash's song here.

Unfairness is hard to understand. If God is so loving and kind, goes the argument, why does he allow such horrors as war, famine, disease, and Microsoft Windows? Why can't we live happy and trouble-free lives? And if he lets bad things happen to good people, can we trust him at all?

I wrestled with similar doubts in the 1980s. Elders at a house church drilled into me that I should build up my faith so I could receive full sight. But each failure of my faith, or so they told me, proved that I lacked faith to be healed.

I now know that God is sovereign. He made us and he knows what's best for us. And like our pets fuss whenever we take them to the vet's, we don't realize what God does is for our own eventual good and his glory.

Romans 9:20 (KJV) shows how foolish we are to accuse God of wrongdoing. "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest  against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why 
hast thou made me thus?"

This answer sounds unsatisfying to ears accustomed to egalitarianism. We think we know better but God is God and not us. I don't like it eather but I guess things happen that way.

Did you enjoy the song and what I wrote? Please comment in the box below. But if you'd rather not, have a beautiful weekend anyway.
I'll be blogging on Monday about how some Christians think the Holy Spirit makes them do weird things like falling backward.