Dear Friends,
It was such a joy to share such an amazing verse with us all recently. It was from Isaiah 43v1, where God assures the hearts of his people with the words: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine”.
The words came just after Liverpool had won the Champions League. The name of their club etched into the trophy, the names of their players sung from the terraces, the name of their manager inscribed in football’s hall of fame.
I suspect our names have never received such honour or dignity. Maybe for some of us, our names have been given the opposite treatment before. But the wonderful truth of Isaiah 43 is that our names are sung in heaven. God himself calls out our names with the joy and delight of someone calling a child to run into their arms.
The reason Liverpool’s name was so hallowed recently was because of their success, triumph and achievement. But the wonderful news of the gospel is that our names aren’t on God’s lips because of any merit, religious act or work of ours, but because of the free love of God, and the merit of his son Jesus alone.
This month, no matter what we have or haven’t done, no matter how low others might have treated our name, would we find comfort in the staggering thought that God calls us by name. And, would we respond.
Yours In Christ,
Paul