“I Have Called You by Name”

Posted On August 21, 2022

“But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.'”

Isaiah 43:1 NKJV

The verse above has become one of my favorites. The words were originally spoken to the nation of Israel through the prophet Isaiah, but as Christians they are for us as well, collectively and individually. The Lord who created us says: Don’t be afraid. I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are Mine.

“For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.”

Psalm 139:13-14 NIV

We are wonderfully made. We are called by name. We belong to God.

These are powerful truths! I think we should remind ourselves of them often, because we are tempted to forget. And then it becomes easy to drift away from God. But we are only hurting ourselves if we do that. Even when we doubt our worth, even when we stumble, even when we feel invisible, God sees us and calls us His own.

God loves us more than we can comprehend, and He formed us perfectly to do His work in the world. That’s good news! So then why does God tell us not to be afraid? Because representing Christ in this broken world isn’t always easy.

“Yes, it is true that you are a stranger in this world because of your association with Christ. That means that people will not always understand you or what God has called you to accomplish. However, remember that all things in this world are temporary — including the standards by which you are judged. But when God says you are His beloved child, that is forever.”

~Charles F. Stanley, God’s Purpose for Your Life

God is always calling to His children, trying to help them find their way. We can choose not to listen, but doing so only makes things harder on us. Since God is our Creator, He knows exactly what we were designed to do. And since He sees everything — past, present, and future — He knows exactly what we will be called to face. If we let Him, He will prepare us.

When I go back and review my old journal entries, I often find instances where God spoke to me about events that hadn’t occurred yet. Unfortunately, I didn’t always have the good sense to listen. If I had paid closer attention, I would have been much better equipped to deal with whatever struggles were coming.

It’s a lesson I think many of us have to learn the hard way: God is always right! So let’s quit trying to go it alone and remember who we are. We are God’s children. When we reach out to our heavenly Father, He gives us the wisdom and strength that we need, not only to persevere, but to shine in this world.

“Today, do not be afraid. The circumstances before you may seem confusing at best, painful and destructive at worst. But understand that you have absolutely everything you need to walk in God’s plan for your life — the Holy Spirit who lives and works within you and His Word to direct you.”

~Charles F. Stanley, God’s Purpose for Your Life

Fear not. I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are Mine. I find these words very comforting. In fact, I have a bracelet that has part of this verse (Isaiah 43:1) spelled out in Morse code, and I wear it almost every day as a reminder. But if we keep reading, it gets even better. Here are the next two verses of Isaiah 43:

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior . . . .”

Isaiah 43:2-3 NKJV

God never promised that life would be easy. In fact, He promised the opposite: “In this world you will have trouble . . . “ (John 16:33 NIV). We are told from day one that life will be hard, and as Christians, maybe even more so. In addition to dealing with all the hardships of life, we are called to represent Christ to the world, and often, the world doesn’t like that!

We may be misunderstood, judged, or even persecuted for our beliefs. We may be shunned by others who don’t understand. As we let our faith shine, we set ourselves up as targets for anyone with a grudge against God, religion, or the church in general.

So we should not expect calm waters all the time. But what we can expect, what we can count on, is that we will never pass through stormy seas alone. God is always with us, and He always has a plan.

“You value, competence, and favor do not come and go based on circumstances or the opinions of others, because you are in Christ. You have become so intimately connected with Jesus that you take on His identity. Don’t take this gift for granted or forget it when others are cruel. Rather, thank God for it every day.”

~Charles F. Stanley, God’s Purpose for You Life

The reason God tells us we will have trouble is to prepare us. He is reminding us to stick close to Him and pay attention to everything He says. How do we do this? By spending time in prayer and in His Word every day. If we will make the commitment to seek Him above all else, He will take care of the rest (Matthew 6:33, Psalm 37:4-5).

He promises that when we seek Him, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). He promises us wisdom and strength to do all He calls us to do (James 1:5, Isaiah 41:10, Philippians 4:13). And He promises us that we don’t have to worry, because He’s got this! No matter what we face, we can find peace in Christ.

We are called by name. We are His. And He will fight for us! In John 16:33, Jesus tells us to expect trouble. However, that’s not all He says. Here’s the entire verse: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NIV).

“Did God save you so you would fret? Would he teach you to walk just to watch you fall? Would he be nailed to the cross for your sins and then disregard your prayers? . . . I don’t think so either.”

~Max Lucado, Grace for the Moment

This week’s Scripture passages remind us that we are chosen by God and called to do His work. I have also included a video clip from The Chosen that gives a beautiful picture of the power of these words through the eyes of Mary Magdalene…

“But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.'”

Isaiah 43:1 NKJV

“And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose”

Romans 8:28 NET

References:

• The Chosen. Created by Dallas Jenkins, Angel Studios, 2017-present, https://watch.angelstudios.com/thechosen.
• Lucado, Max. Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. J. Countryman, 2000.
• “Mary’s Redemption (Mary Magdalene)|The Chosen Season 1 Episode 1.” YouTube, uploaded by Mike Herbert, 7 December 2021, https://youtu.be/mEePUxK44tw.
• Stanley, Charles F. God’s Purpose for Your Life: 365 Devotions. Thomas Nelson, 2020.

Images:

• Flying Bird featured image by Rachel McDermott on Unsplash
• Rough Water image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay
• Sunset Beach image by Terri Sharp from Pixabay