I’m enjoying a daily devotional app (though not everyday!) called Lectio365. This week the content is aligned with a Global Week of 24-7 Prayer. The organizers are inviting believers all over to seek God’s purposes around the promise of Philippians 2.9-11 “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
I’ve been moved by soaking in this promise Paul records, “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, every tongue proclaim.” “Every knee?” “Every tongue?” When? Can it please be soon? And how are we involved, if at all, in the keeping of this promise?
Some of us are particularly keen to see Muslim knees bow to Jesus. (God have mercy: Let’s make sure ours are first!) We long to hear Muslim voices glorify God by acknowledging the lordship of Christ. His name really is above all names!
As you probably know, Muslims have a list of 99 names for God. Maybe you’ve heard this joke: “Why does the camel smile (see image above)? Because it knows the 100th name of God!”
Spoiler alert: Muslims don’t think the 100th name is Jesus! (But maybe the camel does know!)
Even so, the list of God’s names in Islam captures many of the characteristics Christians also attribute to God. This means the list provides a good conversation starter.
For example, the sales guy I’ve been interacting with this morning as I write Muslim Connect has a Kaaba emoji next to his name in his contact info! Alex is probably going to get asked about some of his favorite names of God and will probably hear some of mine! Al-Aleem knows!*
#19, The All-Knowing, The Omniscient. The One whose knowledge encompasses everything, past, present, and future.
Addendum: We should not let this day pass, the 25th anniversary of 9/11, without remembering in prayer those who lost loved ones or quality of life in those horrendous attacks and in the downstream conflicts that have spanned the globe. May God have mercy on those who suffer.