God Remembers Names

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading, titled God Remembers Names, was written by Katira Patton. The Sunday after I'd started working as a youth leader at a church and had met several of the young people, I spoke to a teen seated next to her mom. As I greeted the shy girl with a smile, I said her name and asked how she was doing. She lifted her head and her beautiful brown eyes widened.

She too smiled and said in a small voice, You remembered my name. By simply calling that young girl by name, a girl who may have felt insignificant in a church filled with adults, I began a relationship of trust. She felt seen and valued.

In Isaiah 43, God is using the prophet Isaiah to convey a similar message to the Israelites. They were seen and valued. Even through captivity and time in the wilderness, God saw them and knew them by name. They were not strangers.

They belonged to Him. Even though they may have felt abandoned, they were precious and His love was with them. And along with the reminder that God knew them by name, He shared all that He would do for them, especially during trying times. When they went through trials, He would be with them. They didn't need to be afraid or worried since God remembered their names.

God knows each of His children's names, and that's good news, especially as we pass through the deep, difficult waters in life. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Isaiah chapter 43 verses 1 through 7. But now, this is what the Lord says, I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.

I will say to the north, give them up, and to the south, do not hold them back. Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth, everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made. Let's pray. Dear Lord, thank You for knowing us by name and for loving us dearly. When we're faced with difficulties and hardships, help us remember that You care for us deeply and will supply what we need to endure. Thank You, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Toni Collier, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.