Names

Isaiah 45: 3

And I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden wealth of secret places, in order that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.

There is an economy message in this verse and it should give you great comfort for your finances. You should ponder what God is saying about the hidden wealth and buried treasures. That, however, is not what I want to bring out from this scripture today. I wish for us to look just at the last phrase, “who calls you by your name.”

Yahweh is He who has called you by your name. He is the only God. There is none before Him, nor have any come after Him. It is He who has called you. “What, me?,” I can hear some of you saying. Yes, you. If you are a Christian it is because God called you and you had the intelligence to answer. Yea!

You are important in the Kingdom. God knows your name and has called YOU! That one fact ought to stir some joy within you. In an earlier chapter of Isaiah God said, “I have called you by name; you are Mine,” (Isaiah 43: 1). So, by the time we get to chapter 45, He is just reminding you. But wait, these are not the only places either. Way back in Exodus God said, “I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight,” (Exodus 33: 12). Look at the similarities between these verses and I think you will be blessed.

You may say, though, “Well, God wasn’t speaking to me in those verses.” Wasn’t He? If He wasn’t, then why did He have them included in the Bible? This is that dynamic again of a historical record and a living Word. God is still ministering His Word to us today. Have you ever read a scripture and heard it bigger and louder than the surrounding verses? That is God personalizing that verse to you. He is trying to get your attention so that you read it as a personal note to you. That is the way you should read your Bible, as a personal letter from Yahweh God to you.

Before the beginning of time, God saw you and planned for you. He wrote your name down and waited for your day to come. Then He rejoiced when you were born. Thousands of years He waited for this day, the day when He could voice your name it be uniquely yours regardless of the number of people who share it. One other thing though, don’t be surprised if God has another name for you. He has shown a propensity to changing people’s names. Because you are precious in His sight, He calls you names which edify you. You can ask Him what your heavenly name is if you want. One thing I know about it, it will put a smile on your face.

You are His beloved and called to Him. He has called you by name. He has showered you with favor and with His love. The creator of the universe knows your name and has called you to Himself. I think that is a pretty big deal.

God is Calling Out Your Name

Isaiah 43: 1

But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!”

The voice of the Lord can be heard in the streets and the marketplace. He is calling you.

For I have called the church. I have called every single person. You are all members and vital to the body. Do not overlook your call. I have called you by name. I have called you to myself. Arise O mighty church of the living God. I am coming soon. Arise to meet me.” The Lord God is calling out to His people. “Arise! Hearken to me as never before. Turn your heart to me and hear me for I am calling to you.”

God has called you and He is crying out to His people and to the church as a body of believers. He is sending people throughout to awaken the body. Awaken. Rub the sleep from your eyes because we are being called to greater glory in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit of the Lord. These are the days that the prophets of old longed to see. The church fell asleep; the people lost their zeal, their hunger for the Lord, but there is a great awakening. People will again yearn for their heavenly Father with a deep, almost insatiable hunger. They will be filled though. Just like Jesus fed the 5000, God will give the bread of life to all who hunger.

There is not one believer who is not known to God. No matter where you are or what you are doing God is there with you. He constantly watches over you. There is no concern that is too small for Him nor any problem that is too large for Him. He knows your name and is calling out that name. Individually and collectively you are the people of His hand. You may seem small in your own eyes but you are precious in the sight of the Lord. You think you are invisible but your God is passionately aware of every minute of your day. And you are a part of this great awakening. Your zeal for the Lord will inspire others. God will do great things in your life and others will see the hand of the Lord on you. You and your life will be a testimony to the saved and the unsaved so that all may come to a full knowledge of the Lord our Christ.  Listen, God is calling you.