Sep 19 – CALLING BY NAME !

“But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel:

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine” (Isaiah 43:1).

The Lord is our Father and our Mother. He comforts us like a mother; and has compassion on us like a father. When He lovingly calls us as ‘Jacob’, and as ‘Israel’, our hearts are filled with gladness.

Out of abundant affection, parents call their children with a pet name, although there is a given name. When children are called out by pet name by their parents, they will be overjoyed. We also have the name given by the Lord on top of our first names. “For Jacob My servant’s sake, and Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me” (Isaiah 45:4).

In the Scripture, we read of five individuals who were called out by the Lord twice. And one of them is Abraham. “But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!. So he said, “Here I am.” (Genesis 22:11). Abraham is one of our forefathers. Even though there were many saints of God, such as Abel, Enoch and Noah, before his times, they were not called as ‘forefathers’. Such an anointing was poured out only upon Abraham, for the first time.

God the Father in heaven, was willing to sacrifice His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, on the Cross for us. He called out Abraham and said to him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac as a burnt offering on one of the mountains. God gave such a commandment to Abraham, so that he may know how much God would have grieved to offer His own Son as a sacrifice for the mankind. Although Abraham was deeply pained in his heart, he had the faith to go beyond that grief and do the will of God. He believed in his heart, that even if his son were sacrificed as a burnt offering, the Lord is mighty to bring him back to life from the dead.

That is why Abraham said to his young men, “The lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you” (Genesis 22:5). The Lord did not let Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on the altar. Therefore, he received Isaac, as though he had received him back alive from death.

Children of God, whatever you may dedicate for the Lord, He will bless it a thousand-fold and give it back to you. The Scripture says, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).

Verse for further meditation: “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19).