GOD KNOWS YOU BY NAME

Many of us have a view of God as this magnificent being in the heavens, pure and far removed from the earth, sordid as it is. Yes, God is magnificent, He dwells in the heavens and He is pure. But He is also everywhere and He is with each of us, His children, because He chooses to be.

God is near us, He is with us, and He knows every detail of our lives. One of the first signs that someone knows another is if they know his or her name. Well, believe it, my dear: God knows your name. He knows your first name and your surname. He even knows your middle name and your nickname (if you have any of those).

Friend, you're not a stranger to God. He knows you by name. That also means He will not forget you when He is sharing blessings to His children. We just came out of the Christmas season. Gifts were packaged and labelled in families so that each person could identify the gift/s specially chosen for Him or her.

That is how God specially prepares what He has for you and puts your name on it. Don't fret if things seem slow or scattered. God Has plotted your path and has placed what you need at appropriate points along the way. Each package has your name on it and will serve just the right purpose in your life.

See yourself like Moses to whom God made the following statement:

"... I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name." - Exodus 33:17 

Moses had begged God to go with the children of Israel as they travelled to the promised land although they had been repeatedly disobedient to His commands. And God said He would do it because Moses had found favour in His sight and He knew him by name.

How do we find favour in God's sight today and ensure that He acknowledges us by name? By receiving His Son, Jesus, of whom He declared during His time on earth:

"Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." - Mark 1:11

Receiving Jesus makes us children of God.

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name"- John 1:12.

Then God our Father will know and call us by name and answer when we call on Him.

Amen in Jesus' name.

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The scriptures used in this post are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
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If you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, pray this short prayer:

PRAYER FOR SALVATION:
Almighty God, I repent of my sins and ask you to forgive me. I receive the work Jesus did for me by shedding His blood for my sins. Write my name in the Lamb's Book of Life and send your Spirit to live in my heart and teach me your word. I receive the grace to live a life that honours you henceforth in Jesus' name. Amen.

Now, you are born again. Join a Bible-believing group of believers to help you learn, through studying the word of God and prayer, how to live and practise your faith. You are blessed in Jesus' name.

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You may also like these posts about God's goodness and faithfulness:

http://edithohaja.com/choose-enjoy-infinite-goodness-god/

http://edithohaja.com/the-anchor-holds/

http://edithohaja.com/12-quotes-on-gods-faithfulness/

GOD CAN STABILISE YOUR LIFE

Instability, constantly changing scenarios, a kaleidoscope of experiences - this is what life is like for many people. There is nothing they can be sure of. Good things are here one moment, gone the next. A seemingly perfect marriage ends in bitter separation and court battles, a business that was about picking up sinks due to unforeseen factors, one health challenge is replaced by another with tiny reprieves in between.

This is the life that sin in the Garden of Eden plunged humanity into. It wasn't meant to be so at first. But we can have some assurance in life when we come to the One who created all things and they were certified good.

"And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good ..." - Genesis 1:31.

We call Him the Rock of Ages because nothing can move Him and the Bible says the same of the world we live in.

"Tremble before him, all the earth! The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved." - 1 Chronicles 16:30 (NIV)

He can bring the same stability to our lives and give us an immutable testimony. We have clear promises in His word on this:

"They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever." - Psalm 125:1

Contemporary English translations say they shall not be "moved" or "shaken". 

"The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms ..." - Deuteronomy 33:27

The arms referred to above are God's. Visualise Him holding you and tell me what can toss you about. 

"1. Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.

6. Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. 

7. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord." - Psalm 112:1, 6-7 

Faith in God is a source of confidence in life. Like Job, we have a hedge about our lives and are not open to every vicissitude.

"Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land." - Job 1:10 

I want to add this scripture from the most popular psalm in the Bible:

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." - Psalm 23:6 (KJV) [emphasis mine]

Some people say Old Testament scriptures don't apply to us today. I say they do because God has not changed and His word abides forever. Our circumstances are not different from those of the Israelites. When we accept God through Jesus, we become Abraham's children entitled to the same promises and blessings.

"89. For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. 90. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. 91. They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants." - Psalm 119:89-91

"26. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." - Galatians 3:26-29  

We need not live our lives like yo-yos. We can enjoy stability: stability in our faith, in our health, in material blessings, in fruitfulness and success. As Isaiah 37:31 says, God's people whom He has delivered (in this context you and I that are saved) shall "take root downward, and bear fruit upward", not for a season but all through the rest of our days. 

Let us appropriate this in prayer by refusing the contrary and agreeing with God's word in every circumstance. God shall uphold His word in our lives to the glory of His name. But this does not mean that trials shall not come. If indeed they are trials sent by God, He will grant us the grace to endure. Otherwise, everything in our lives that opposes the will and good purpose of God should be made to bow to the name of Jesus. 

We need a stable life, especially in our faith. We can't keep moving from sin to sin with little or no fruit of the Spirit in our lives when we have been saved. We should agree with God on this and He will make it happen, not only with respect to our spiritual walk but in every other area of our lives as well. 

Amen in Jesus' name.

If you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, pray this short prayer:

PRAYER FOR SALVATION

Almighty God, I repent of my sins and ask you to forgive me. I receive the work Jesus did for me by shedding His blood for my sins. Write my name in the Lamb's Book of Life and send your Spirit to live in my heart and teach me your word. I receive the grace to live a life that honours you henceforth in Jesus' name. Amen.

Now, you are born again. Join a Bible-bleleving group of believers to help you learn, through studying the word of God and prayer, how to live and practise your faith. You are blessed in Jesus' name. 

You may also like these popular encouraging posts:

http://edithohaja.com/the-anchor-holds/

http://edithohaja.com/gods-word-never-fails/

http://edithohaja.com/you-will-ascend-to-your-throne-of-glory/