Debbie and I were returning home from a business meeting in Little Rock, AR. We stopped at a convenience store to fill up our car with gas. I noticed the guy next to me starting to laugh. I thought that was a little strange, then he said, "Rick, how are you doing?" Immediately, I tried to remember his name. Was he an old classmate, friend of the family, had I previously met him in one of the meetings I just attended. He could tell by the look on my face that I didn't have a clue who he was. He started rolling with laughter and pointed at the name tag I was still wearing from my meeting. We had a good laugh and went on our way.
In our fast paced culture today, it is special for someone to know our name. I have to admit, sometimes when I meet new people I forget their name before we finish shaking hands. At work, when I call home office, I have to put my advisor number in before they will talk. Social security numbers are a necessity if you are going to do business. We are just a number in many areas of business and health care.
When people call me over the phone I can usually identify if it is a business call, friend calling, or family calling by which name they use. If they ask for James Hepler, I know it is a business call or someone who does not know me. When they ask for Rick, it is mostly my clients or friends that I have made the last 20 years. If they ask for Rickey, it is a family member, a close family friend or someone that has known me since I was a child. We feel comfortable when people know us, when they call our name.
Does God know my name? In the book of Jeremiah chapter 1:5, the Lord tells Jeremiah, " before I formed you in your mother's womb I knew you;" Psalms 139:13-14 David says "For you formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Yes, I think God knows our name. The key thought is, "do we know Him"? We need to know Him and live our lives pleasing Him.
God loves us so much, He knows our names, but He also wants our names recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life. Read Revelations 20:15 and 21:27. If we are faithful, our names are entered into the Lamb's Book of life. The saddest verse in the Bible is vs. 15 of chapter 20, "And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire". The Book of life is one book that we want our name written.
Many people know my name, but more importantly, God knows it. I need to live like He knows my name. How about you?
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Thanks for reading!
Rick Hepler
