“What is he like?”
My friend once spent time with a famous person. This person was someone I had watched on TV and admired from a distance. He had gotten to know that person up close, spent time with him, and now communicated with him on a regular basis. Full of curiosity, I wondered what the person was really like. Surely, he had some level of insight into this person that I did not.
My friend told me about the generosity, the kindness, the humility, and the passion of this famous person. He said, “you only get a small taste of that when you see them on TV or on social. They’re way more than that in real life. They’re even better up close.”
This conversation came back to mind as I listened to Danny Gokey's popular song, “Live Up to Your Name.”
WATCH NOW: Danny Gokey - Live Up To Your Name (Official Music Video)
RELATED CONTENT: Danny Gokey Imparts the Purpose of God’s Names in "Live Up To Your Name"
Gokey opens the song by making the unconventional title clear.
“There are records of Your goodness
Spread across the earth
Endless stories of the wonders
Of the Wonder Worker
You are worthy of Your fame”
In an interview with New Release Today, Gokey talked about the song’s title and place in modern worship music.
"Live Up to Your Name" is a unique title for the song, because it's not a typical worship statement. A typical worship statement is we love You, we adore You, and there's no one like You. We are starting a case in this song, and there are multiple examples of how we say it in the song, that there are records of Your goodness…With endless stories of the wonders of the Wonder Worker, God has fame that has lasted throughout the generations.
In the Scriptures, we find a ton of evidence for God’s goodness and character, just as Gokey sings about. When we gather together with other Jesus-followers in community, we hear stories of God’s provision and faithfulness.
But this is where a temptation creeps in. It is very tempting today to live vicariously through others. It’s tempting to watch other people share about their experiences with God in a YouTube video, a podcast, or an Instagram reel. It’s not that difficult to read the Bible and explore how people long ago recounted their experiences with God.
However, it’s a lot more difficult to lean in and seek out God ourselves. Have you ever felt scared of experiencing God yourself?
In Exodus 20, the Hebrew people certainly did. “When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear. And they said to Moses, 'You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!' 'Don’t be afraid,' Moses answered them, 'for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of him will keep you from sinning!'”
It’s important to understand what Moses was encouraging the people to do. There is a fear of the Lord which keeps us humble and walking in obedience, as described in Proverbs 9:10. But, there is also a kind of fear which keeps us from a relationship with the Lord, which John describes in 1 John 4:18.
Listening to “Live Up to Your Name” invited me to seek God in some specific ways, which I encourage you to consider.
First, reflect on the ways God has lived up to His name in your personal experience. Instead of just relying on the experiences of others or consuming them via your digital device, explore your own testimony. How have you seen God live up to His name? It might be helpful to make a list of these ways or journal these experiences.
Second, lean into prayer and community in the areas where your current feelings or experience don’t line up with God’s reputation. God doesn’t always feel faithful when things are painful or discouraging. Sometimes, the way we’re experiencing God in a moment of time is not what we long for or read about in Scripture.
These are the moments we are tempted to run from or resent God. Instead, lean into honest prayer and tell God about those struggles. Turn to the people around you who walk with Jesus and invite them to help you make sense of the gap between God’s reputation and your current experience. Don’t walk through that disorienting phase alone!
Third, listen to this song and study the names of God. There are so many passages of Scripture which recount God’s character and works. Hebrews 11 is one of those passages.
There are also many names attributed to God in Scripture. In his interview with New Release Today, Gokey mentioned a few that were on his mind as he wrote the song. “The song says, "You Live Up to Your Name." What are His names? Jireh, Jehovah, Abba, Yahweh, Healer, Protector, Redeemer, Promise Keeper, Jesus. Lion and the Lamb, Great I Am.”
Open up a Bible app on your phone and search for each of these names. As you search, play “Live Up to Your Name.” As you listen to and read the names of God, ask God to strengthen your faith and dependence on Him.
Whatever you are facing today and however you are praying for God to live up to His name, my prayer for you is summed up in Psalm 9:10.
“Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.”
Scott Savage is a pastor and a writer, and yes he does have the best last name ever. He leads Cornerstone Church in Prescott, Arizona. Scott is married to Dani and they are the proud parents of three children. He loves helping hurting people forgive others through his Free to Forgive course and you can read more of his writing at scottsavagelive.com.
