I will confess and praise You O God with my whole heart; Before the gods will I sing praises to You. I will praise Your Name for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness; You have exalted above all else your Name and your Word You have magnified Your word above all Your Names! 

Psalm 138:1-2 

In our Western culture we ratify a verbal agreement by ‘shaking on it’. The handshake is an important symbol of trust. We ‘shake hands’ right-hand to right-hand. Most people are right-handed. In order to shake an enemy’s hand you had to put down your weapon or here in the ‘Wild West’ holster your gun.

In Eastern cultures the gestures of trust and agreement are even more intimate. They often involve greetings of kissing both cheeks and reaching out with both hands.

We have an expression that says ‘my word is as good as my name’. You can trust that I will fulfill my word to you based on my good name from the past.

God sets an even higher standard of integrity and faithfulness for Himself. He exalts his Name (who He is) and his Word (what He says He will do) above everything else. And of those two, He magnifies his Word even above his good Name.

This is the foundation of our faith. We can absolutely trust that our God as revealed in Scripture is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do.  God has complete integrity.

We can put down our weapons and come close. We can enter into relationship with Him without fear.  His Word is our weapon against the lies of the Enemy. It is the basis on which we have forgiveness and assurance of salvation. It gives us hope in perilous times.

For some of us it can be a bit of a journey from fear to trust.

• We hold tight to our weapons of self-protection and self-fulfillment.
• We stay distant from the Father
• We approach Him as slaves rather than beloved sons and daughters.
• We believe what God says about Himself in our heads but it hasn’t landed in our hearts.

Begin today by remembering.

• Remember those times those places where the Word was true for you.
• Look for the ‘fingerprints’ of God on your life where He met you.
• How did He comfort you?.
• Where did He protect you in a dangerous situation?
• Where did He supply a financial need? A physical need?
• Look for the times He went before you even though you couldn’t see Him .

Fingerprints are those places where we have seen God’s actions in our lives. He has done what He said He would do.

As we build a list of His actions (what He has done)  in our lives we grow in trusting  His name (what he says about Himself).  In Psalm 138  says He is  loving, kind, faithful and true. His Word is as good as His Name.  There is ‘no false advertising ‘!

HOW DO I RESPOND ?

• I remember the fingerprints.
• I thank Him for what  He has done.
• I find Scriptures that match my experience of God.
• I speak those out in praise (acknowledge who He is)
• I choose to see the faithfulness and integrity of my Father.
• I lay down my weapons of self-protection and defense.
• I pick up His weapons  (Thanksgiving & Praise)
• I demolish the strongholds of  the lies of the Enemy.
• I choose to grow in trust in the Integrity of God (Worship)

PRAYER

• Father give me eyes to see you as you really are.
• Empower me to trust.
• Train me to war against the Enemy and his lies.
• Make me a person of integrity.