Randy Wray’s Blog

I was reading the news of a certain high profile baseball player suspected of taking steroids and wondered how steroids would affect a preacher.

• Would he preach longer sermons?
• Would he preach better sermons?
• Would you really feel the fury and wrath of God?
• Would you get a wiff of burning spiders?
• Would every point be right on target?
• Would he hit every sermon out of the park?

Any other ideas?

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Here are the words of the current song that has taken up residence in my mind. I hope to dwell on these words long enough that they seep into my heart.

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I’m found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I’ll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun’s shining down on me
When the world’s ‘all as it should be’
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there’s pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I’ll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say Lord
blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

The words of this song bring this Scripture to mind. I long to communicate and regularly experience the passion for God demonstrated by these early believers!

Nehemiah 9:1-5a (NCV) On the twenty-fourth day of that same month, the people of Israel gathered. They did not eat, and they wore rough cloth and put dust on their heads to show their sadness. Those people whose ancestors were from Israel had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood and confessed their sins and their ancestors’ sins. For a fourth of the day they stood where they were and read from the Book of the Teachings of the LORD their God. For another fourth of the day they confessed their sins and worshiped the LORD their God. These Levites were standing on the stairs: Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kanani. They called out to the LORD their God with loud voices. Then these Levites spoke: Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah.

Don’t get lost in the names, you might miss what these men said.

Nehemiah 9:5b-6 (NCV) They said, “Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who lives forever and ever.” “Blessed be your wonderful name. It is more wonderful than all blessing and praise. You are the only LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, with all the stars. You made the earth and everything on it, the seas and everything in them; you give life to everything. The heavenly army worships you.

Yes, Lord, blessed be your name - even today. No matter what happens today or tonight or tomorrow blessed be Your name.