The Mention of His Name
Author: Ronda Knuth“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11).
My senses were on high alert and my heart hammered in my chest. I held my breath, listening – it was quiet, too quiet. I strained to see through the pitch-black of the room. If there was an intruder, he would get to me before I saw him. Something was wrong. Really, really wrong.
I should get up, should check on my children asleep in the next room, should check to be sure that the doors and windows are locked tight. If I could get to the switch and flip on the light, I could peer under the bed and behind the door but I’d have to move to do that and I couldn’t – I was paralyzed with fear.
Ominous
Whatever had wakened me from a deep sleep was ominous, sinister, foreboding. I felt utterly powerless against it. “Jesus.” I whispered into the darkness. “Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.” I kept speaking His precious name until the heaviness lifted. The terror, unable to remain in the presence of Deity, left. A sweet peace settled my heart and I slept.
Life changed dramatically for us after that. Months later, when the world stopped spinning off its axis, I thought back to that night and knew with startling clarity that the “something” I’d felt in our home that night was the enemy of my soul. Just what his purposes were, I’m not certain – but they weren’t good. He has only one purpose – to steal, to kill and to destroy. My sense is that was the night my husband (now my ex-husband) was given an ultimatum and he chose to side with evil. Less than 2 months later, he was arrested for the kidnap and rape of a young woman in town. In time I was to learn that he had been living a double life and was in actuality a serial rapist, who had been violating women for the better part of our 7 year marriage.
Power in Jesus’ Name
I was helpless and at the mercy of the evil one. Thank God for Jesus and for the power that is present in His name. I called and He came. Jesus, NAME above all names, Beautiful Saviour, Glorious Lord, Emmanuel, God is with us, Blessed Redeemer, Living Word, the Wounded Lamb, the Ancient of Days, the Great I Am, a Balm in Gilead, my Personal Cornerstone, God in the flesh, now seated upon His throne.
There’s power in the name of Jesus to cast out demons, to heal the sick, to break the chains of darkness, to set the prisoner free, to calm a frightened young mother in a tiny bungalow in a small south Texas (USA) town. Jesus came to me; He will come to you. He’s as close as the mention of his name.
Prayer: “Father, in the words of A.W. Tozer, ‘We need never shout across the spaces to an absent God. He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thought.’ Thank you for being that close to me. Amen”