Don’t worry, God will always remember our names

Have you ever been to a family reunion or a high school reunion? It is good to re-connect with loved ones and friends. But it is embarrassing if someone says “hi” and we forget his or her name.

This past week I have had three people come up to me and greet me. I knew their faces, but I did not remember their names. Some of these folks even asked about family members by name and talked about recent events in the life of our family. These people knew me and they knew my name, but I had forgotten theirs. This is embarrassing for me, in part because I have a reputation of remembering people’s names. But, I didn’t remember these three.

This Sunday is a “family reunion” of sorts. Sunday School starts with a full schedule of adult Bible classes. For those who have been occupied elsewhere with summer vacation, with fishing or even with the Alaska State Fair, we get to return through worship and Sunday School more fully to the presence of the Lord, our Heavenly Father — the one who loves us most.

And while we may forget the names of others, God never forgets our names. In fact, he takes the personal relationship he has with each of us very seriously. Just consider what the following verses mean.

In Isaiah 43:1, God tells the Israelites: “But now, this is what the LORD says — he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.’” Your friends and acquaintances may forget your name, but God calls us by name. He knows us and cares for us.

In Isaiah 49:1, God tells the Gentiles, the non-Jews (that’s us by the way): “Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name.” God has called us before we were born and known our names. He does not forget us. He knows us and cares for us!

And in John 10:3, when talking about being the Good Shepherd, Jesus talks about how shepherds treat their sheep. “The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” God knows us individually and calls us by name. What a blessing! The Lord of the Universe knows each of us personally.

The amazing thing is that God does know us. He knows who we are and the special people He made us to be. He also knows where we have failed to live up to our promise and have turned our backs on him and others. But God still cares. He cares so much he sent his son to pay for our rebellion and to save us so we can have an eternal reunion with God in Heaven. Despite our sin, God still keeps calling us to repentance and faith, and to his eternal love.

We may forget the names of others. Others may forget or ignore us. But God always remembers and cares and calls us to himself. Today we get to attend that reunion, to begin the process again of growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May you find joy that God himself knows you and calls you by name back to himself in Jesus.

Jonathan Rockey is pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer.

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