OMG
By Vernette Kureck
“I will bless the
Lord at all times; his praise shall be continually in my mouth”
Psalm
34:1 (ESV)
It
has taken me awhile, but I have finally joined the 21st century and
actually do some texting. The convenience of connecting instantly and concisely
without making an intruding phone call has its merits, as do the shorthand
abbreviations. *vin meaning “starving,” LMK meaning “let me know” and
B3 meaning “blah, blah, blah”….you get the
picture. But the one that has really taken off is OMG or “O My God!” It is used
as an exclamatory space filler; usually, a thoughtless reply to something ...to
anything that has occurred in the friend’s life. It is frequently heard on the
radio, television and in movies also. So what is the big deal?
In
the Old Testament, the third commandment God gives to His people is “You shall
not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him
guiltless who takes his name in vain” (Deuteronomy
5:11, ESV). “To take the name” is to utter, speak or write it as an oath.
To do it “in vain” is to attach worthless purpose to the expression. The
careless OMG also projects wrong characteristics and motivation to God. He is
protective of His reputation and prohibits His name being attached to any
unfulfilled vow. Unlike the flippant phrase we often hear today, David used OMG
in the Psalms for a much more appropriate and God-honoring intention.
- “O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me” (Psalm 25:2, ESV). David affirms God’s trustworthiness.
- Later in Psalm 71, he writes, “Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man, for you oh Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord from my youth” (Psalm 71:4, ESV). David’s security and confidence is in the Lord.
- Further on in verse 12, “Oh God be not far from me: O my God, make haste to help me.” David knew that his help came from the Lord and he appeals to Him under threatening circumstances.
- Then in verse 22, “I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.” David knew the attributes of God and in that knowledge expresses O my God.
May our OMG's only be ones that affirm who God is...and
may they reflect His holiness, trustworthiness, faithfulness and protection.
Let us bless the Lord at all times.
GOING
DEEPER:
1.
What might be an appropriately loving response when someone uses OMG in a text
or conversation that will bring glory to God and help them rethink their usage of
the expression?
FURTHER
READING:
Vernette
and her husband Ken have been married 46 years. Their two married sons have
blessed them with eight grandchildren. Vernette will be one of the small group
leaders at our upcoming women’s retreat, Navigate.
