God is Jehovah-Maccaddeshem

So right now you're probably saying, He's what now?!?  Some kind of macadamia nut?  No, no, Maccaddeshem.  Don't you know what that means??  (wink,wink)

Jehovah-Maccaddeshem is the Lord thy Sanctifier.  This name come from Exodus, when God tells Moses in Exodus 31:13, "Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.'"

The LORD who makes us holy.  The Sanctifier.  Is it sacrilegious right now for me to be picturing God as the ultimate WWF wrester - The Sanctifier!  Come on.  Say it in your best WWF voice!

To sanctify means to set apart for sacred use, to make holy, to purify.  As you can see, God's names continue to build right on top of each other.  They never clash or cause misunderstandings of who He is.  Each name tells us more about His character, His personality, His being.

This weekend, His names were "Potter" and "Purifier."  And today, "Sanctifier."  They all point to the same thing:  this great big God, bigger than all of time and space, this God who created you individually, who knows your name, who knows your every move . . . He has set you apart for a special purpose.  A sacred use.

So many times we look for God's will, and I tell you - we make it too.dang.hard.  God's will is clear, and His intention with our lives is clear, too.

First, He DOES have a plan.  One of most people's favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11:  "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"  Secondly, He clearly tells us what His plan involves:  "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."  (Deuteronomy 6:5) In other words, in His plan, He comes first.  Thirdly, He tells us the next step:   "He answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”  (Luke 10:27)  Plain words.  People are important.

So, let's look at this very broad concept again and make it simple.  God is the Sanctifier.  He has set you aside for a holy purpose.  What is that purpose?  To love Him with all your heart, soul, strength and mind, and to love others.

That's pretty simple.  Whether you do those things as a doctor, a lawyer, a garbage man or a housewife (like me!), God has called you to be holy.  Sanctified.  Set apart.  He has called you to love.  Don't worry too much about God's plan.  It's easy!!  You don't have to spend your whole life searching for it - it's clear.  His plan has very little to do with what you do for a living, and more about what you do for a LIFE. 

So respond to your calling.  You are sanctified because you were created by the Sanctifier.  You were created to be holy.  To be pure.  So do it!