09 July 2013

the sound of a name and the sound of a breath

Breathing.
Hear the sound.
YHVH.
A name.
The name of God.
His personal name.
We say it Yahweh.
Listen again.
Yahweh.
He names Himself to Moses in the fire of the burning bush,
and it is a word that is the sound of the breath He breathed into Adam,
dust of the earth
in the beginning.
The very breath of your lungs echoing the Holy and Personal name of the God of the Universe,
Creator of words and worms.

YHVH.

Hear your breath.
He names Himself and then makes us breathe it out.
Exhale,
in fear,
exultation,
sorrow,
joy:
and still you say His name.

You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God
{Exodus 20:7a}

Only a few chapters later.
Do not profane the Name of the Living God.
Written in stone on the mountain for the people of stone hearts to see.

So if my every breath echos the name of the God of Lights,
how often have the words of this mouth of mine broken that command?
Angry, unkind, unholy words.

And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
{Isaiah 6:5-7}

Unclean lips.
Speaking words that do not honor God.
Malachi writes

But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap.
{Malachi 5:2}

he is like a refiner's fire.
His fire is the coal touched to these unclean lips,
His blood the covering of my guilt and atonement for sin.

I once was lost,
but now,
oh, but now I'm found.

In reflection of the God who sees,
I breathe out His name,
whisper thanks,
the name given to show that He is not far off,
not a distant God,
but one who gives us His personal name.
To breathe.
In all circumstances.
What grace is this?

Who are we?

A people of unclean lips.
Formed of dust of the earth,
to return to the dust of the earth,
but for love.

All is grace.
We are loved.

Echo the Name, friends.

Love:)

R

1 comment:

  1. It is always good to find you here at Ann's. Blessed to visit today. Love & prayers, in Jesus, Cynthia

    ReplyDelete