Know a Person’s Name
Isaiah 43:1 But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
One of the things that’s incredibly precious to each one of us, is our own name.
It’s an odd thing when you think about it. A name is just a label. It’s a unique identifier. But if that’s all that there was to it, we could just give you a number.
Why don’t we change your name to 7449018? Hi 7449018. How are you?
Nah. It just doesn’t have the same ring about it. And there’s a reason for that. Our name speaks something of our uniqueness into this world. And so we’ve each become incredibly attached to our names.
I love the fact that my name is Berni – B-e-r-n-i with no “e” on the end, because that’s how my parent’s spelled it and that’s how it is. I often find myself telling people, when they’re writing down my name “no e on the end”. Why? Does it really matter? Well, actually, yes, to me it does matter.
Just as your name matters to you. Think about this, God knows you by name.
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. (Isaiah 43:1)
When God thinks of you, He thinks of you by name. When He looks at you, He sees you and knows your name. When you’re in trouble, in distress and you cry out to Him, He knows your name. Jesus put it beautifully:
The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. (John 10:2-3)
Imagine then how it feels for someone else, when you forget their name. When you’ve met them once, and then you see them again, and you just don’t remember their name.
That person’s name is one of the single most precious things that they have. Just as your name is one of the single most precious things that you have. And when we remember other people’s names, it so honours them. It speaks to them of the respect that we have for them.
Honestly, I sometimes struggle to remember peoples’ names. I travel around the word and meet many, many people – so for me, it’s really quite an occupational challenge. But as best I can, I try to remember their names. I enlist help from our local staff to coach me and remind me of people’s names.
God remembers us by name. That’s incredible. God Himself knows your name. How does that make you feel?
So imagine the power of remembering and using the names of the people you meet. What a life skill!
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
Blessed by this devotion?
Share it with a friend!
Respond