My Heart Will Sing No Other Name

I'm taking a break from the Misconceptions series to finally sit down and write about something I've been thinking about more than usual the past several months and was reminded of again last night.

I'm finishing up the book of Joshua, and like all good leaders, Joshua is taking another opportunity to remind the Israelites about all that God has done for them. Moses often gave speeches like this recounting their journey and all that the Lord had done and Joshua is taking a page out of his playbook.

Up to this point, Joshua has been a pretty successful leader. He has led the Israelites into the Promised Land and they're living in a season of peace and right relationship with God.

He also knows that his life is coming to an end, so he reminds the people who God is and about all that He's done, but he finishes with this.

"You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.

But just as every good promise of the LORD your God has come true, so the LORD will bring on you all the evil he has threatened, until he has destroyed you from this good land he has given you. If you violate the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the LORD's anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you." (Joshua 23:14-16)

There's a song we sing at church that has a bridge that simply proclaims,

My heart will sing no other name, Jesus.

I begin to tear up almost every time the song comes to that part and I struggle to be able to sing those words.

Because I start to think about all of the other "names" that my heart "sings" throughout the week. If I'm honest, the idea of "my heart singing no other name" is a nice idea but something I'm infinitely far from.

If you were to take a look at my life, it might sing about a few things, like my family, the Packers, work, or future plans - not that any of those things are bad. The problem is that compared to the amount of time and energy I spend on those things, the name of Jesus is often sadly just a whisper during certain seasons of my life.

For the Israelites, even one season of a lack of intimacy with God or disobedience would likely cost them their lives.

I too, am deserving of God's wrath and justice. It is easy to see my story and the ebbs and flows in my life in the people of Israel.

But praise be to God for the Cross and for loving me enough to send his only Son to take the wrath and justice that I was deserving of upon Himself!

-CK

*See my post from a year ago on idolatry if you're interested in exploring this more.