When I was a kid, picture day was one of the most important days of the school year. On picture day, my sister would get a burn mark on her forehead from the hot comb my mom used on her hair. The whole kitchen would smell crispy. Typically, my sister would wear black Orphan Annie shoes with white ankle socks that flare out like an umbrella.
I would always have a fresh haircut and a new shirt for picture day. I wouldn’t have new pants because you couldn’t see the bottom in the pictures. But I would have a new shirt.
My parents ensured that we were straight on picture day because they felt that if we looked good, they looked good. Their name was on the line.
Likewise, when God blesses you, God blesses you not just to make you look good but to make God look good. God’s name is on the line.
In Psalm 23:3, the songwriter puts it like this: “The LORD restores my soul. God leads me in right paths for God’s name’s sake.”