God Knows Your Name … And Your Address!
Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash.
By Tom Shanklin
Before I began to walk with the Lord, I lived in the woods next to a huge open field. I used to go out into the field at night and look at the stars and think about God. I knew a little bit about the vastness of the universe, and I would think about the awesome power of the Creator. I wasn’t living for Him, but I was quite amazed by His power and glory.
I believe that anyone that thinks seriously about the universe must scratch their head in wonder. How can this be?Scientists tell us that the universe is at least 93 million light-years across. That means if you had a space ship that could travel at the speed of light, it would take you 93 million years to traverse the vast galaxies. That thought will blow your mind. Some say that all of this came from a big bang, but I think you would have to commit intellectual suicide to believe that. You cannot have a design without a Designer. You cannot have a creation without a Creator.
The Bible says that God stretched out the heavens with his hands. In other words, He created the stars and planets and set them in place like you or I would set up a pup tent. Wow!
Back then, I was seeking. I didn’t know God, but I wanted to.
Then, I came into contact with some people who personally knew the Lord Jesus. They had a real living experience with Him. This caused me to seek Him more than ever. I wanted what they had. I wanted to know Him and experience His power.
I want through a crisis at that time because of the conflict between my lifestyle and God’s will for me. I visited with a preacher friend about the turbulent condition of my heart. He prayed for me and encouraged me to be water baptized. That night, I was baptized in Beaver Creek in Houston County in southern Minnesota.
After my baptism, I was sitting in my old pickup truck near my house with my wife and children, and I was praying and seeking the Lord. As I began to think about my lifestyle, especially concerning drugs and alcohol, I had this thought, “Things are going to be different now. I will only do those things once in a while.” In the back of my mind, I was thinking about my friends and what they would think if I didn’t drink or smoke dope with them anymore.
All of a sudden, I heard a voice within me … a strong voice. He said, “Turn from the things of the world.” Somehow I knew it was the voice of God. It was at that moment that the God of the universe, the God that planted the stars in their place, became real to me. I realized that Almighty God was speaking to me, a guy with long hair and a beat-up Ford pickup sitting in front of a tarpaper shack in the woods.
That moment changed my life. I was so awestruck. The God that Created the universe had time for me. The love that I experienced at that moment compelled me to surrender to Him and to say the words, “Yes, Lord!” I made a decision at that point to obey the Lord and to lay aside my drugs and alcohol. Immediately He flooded me with His power. Words began to come to me. “Precious is the blood of the Lamb, which was shed for you.” And, “I give you a new life, free from the bonds of iniquity.” This is how God speaks, “The blood was shed for YOU.” “I give YOU a new life.” You see, God is interested in YOU! God knows your name!
Jesus Calls You By Name!
Notice what Jesus said, “But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” (John 10:2-3, NKJV)
I used to have a few sheep, and most of them had names. If I didn’t name them, Susan would, or the grandchildren. But when an earthly shepherd has a large flock, the sheep cease to have names. They may have a number on an ear tag, but they are not called by name. However, no matter how many sheep Jesus the Good Shepherd has in His flock, and He knows each one individually and calls them by name.
I think of the people He called by name during His earthly ministry:
“Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” (Luke 19:5, NKJV)
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.” (Luke 10:41, NKJV)
“Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).” (John 20:16, NKJV)
And after His resurrection:
“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4, NKJV)
I have news for you. Jesus still calls people by name. That’s why He came … to connect with you personally. He is the expressed image of God. When you see Jesus, you see God in action … in human flesh. When He talked to Zacchaeus, when He healed the woman with the issue of blood, when He wept at Lazarus’ grave, He was revealing the heart of God towards individual people, because God knows your name!
There’s a Miracle with Your Name on It!
God not only knows your name. He knows your address. He knows how to meet you where you are and bring a miracle into your life.
When He calls you by name, it is not only with affection. It is with power. If you hear His voice calling you, it will change you forever. He speaks to the dead, and they come alive. He stood before the tomb and said, “Lazarus, come forth!” (John 11:43, NKJV)
When we hear of Jesus’ miracles, we might think that He just did those signs to prove that He was the Son of God. But the truth is, He did these things because of His compassion. That’s just who He is. He’s a healer. He loves people. He cares about your needs, your pain, your suffering. He is a personal Savior.
I think too often when people think of God or the Church or Christianity, they think of a religion, a doctrine, or a belief system. But in reality, it’s about a relationship with a person, Jesus Christ. He is a real person you can know and experience every day of your life. He knows your name!
When Jesus is your Good Shepherd, you don’t need anything else. The Lord is your shepherd, you have no wants. He makes you lie down in green pastures. He leads you by still waters. He restores your soul. He leads you on paths of righteousness. Even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you fear no evil. He sets up a table before you in the presence of your enemies. He anoints your head with oil. Your cup runs over. Goodness and mercy follow you all the days of your life, and you dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (See Psalm 23) Jesus takes good care of His sheep, and He gives them eternal life.
The Good Shepherd laid down His life for the sheep. God so loved the world [humanity] that He gave His only begotten son to die on a cruel cross for our sins, that whoever [individual people] believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. I know God deals with families and nations and groups and churches. But He also loves each of us individually. He has time for little ol’ me, for which I am very thankful.
Greet the Friends by Name!
God not only wants to heal our relationship with Him but also with one another. He calls us by name, and he wants us likewise to call one another by name. As the Apostle John tells us, “Greet the friends by name.” (3 John 1:14, NKJV)
You see, Jesus shows His love to us, so we can show love to one another. It is His number one commandment, aside from loving Him. So we should not think of people only as groups, such as evangelicals, Muslims, liberals, conservatives, black, white, or brown. No, we are all people—people with names, people with hearts, people who need love.
Love, Honor, & Respect [Audio]>>>
The people around you—the clerk at Walmart, the people waiting in line at the post office, the people who walk in and out of your church each week—are people who God loves. They have a name. They have needs. They have pain. Many of them are lonely. They need someone to care enough to greet them by name. Be like Jesus! Make it a point to greet people by name. Let them know that they are valued and loved.
Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27, NKJV) If you don’t know the Good Shepherd, you can pray a prayer something like this:
Dear Father, thank you for loving me personally. Thank you for calling me by name. I believe Jesus died for me and rose again. From this day, He is my Good Shepherd, and I will follow Him, in Jesus’ name. Amen.