Imagine that you are travelling through towns and villages outside of your normal area, you are on a bit of a trek, a journey. You come across many different kinds of folks. They realize that you do not belong, so to speak, and that you come from somewhere else. Both your dress and your accent would give this away. All this, the looking and sounding different, being unaware of the local customs, and not completely sure of your route, might leave you open to abuse and robbery. At each conversation, cross-road, inn or tavern, with each person you meet there may be foul play at hand, against you, who you are and where you are going.

Except, that you belong to the landholding, the house so to speak, the laird of the land from which you come; this is where your allegiance lies. You are a servant of the Lord of the manor. Now, the people you are encountering do not know you. You mean nothing to them. You carry no authority, no weight of influence, no recourse to your own care even. But, they know the lairds of the land. These are big men and their reputations go far.

And so, on the brink of an assault, out of your mouth comes, “I belong to the Laird of Grendgaven”. At which your would-be robbers shrink back. They know this name. And if you belong to him and his house then there is nothing they can do without grave repercussions. Your Laird has the authority to overrule, to overcome, to hold them to account for what they may do to you. They turn their backs and you are free to go on your way as before.

In medieval England it is not safe to travel outside of the protection of the Laird of the land.

So too, today, it is not safe to travel through life without the name of the LORD on your side.

You are nothing. Within yourself there is only braggart, presumption, arrogance, to believe it okay to navigate through life on ones own name, ones own strength, ones own wisdoms. But, wise are those who call on the name of the LORD, who give allegiance to Jesus Christ, Laird of the land. It is by His name that we are covered and kept, safe from the attacks of Satan and the assignments of darkness.

I stand, journey, pray, come, in the name of my Laird Jesus the Christ. And all darkness shrinks back.

He is the LORD of the manor, the keeper of our lives, the ONE to whom our allegiance is due.

We come in the name of Jesus.