He Knows My Name

I recently joined a group for young writers such as myself to get together as a community and share our knowledge.  This group, the Young Writer’s Workshop, was started by a man by the name of Brett Harris, who wrote the book Do Hard Things and launched the Rebelution Movement along with his twin brother Alex.

Now, he has been a hero of mine since before I was in middle school.  I read his book and read every post that came out on the Rebelution.  Once I joined this workshop, though, I got to actually talk to him (online).  He even checked out this blog and liked it!  Since then he as commented on several of my posts, and has been very encouraging and helpful to me.

As I was lying in bed thinking about something he had said to me, it just blew my mind that he knew my name.  This man of God who had inspired and encouraged countless young men and women in their journeys knew who I was.  It just blew me away.  But then, I got to thinking.  If it excited me this much that this person knew who I was, how much more ecstatic should I be at the knowledge that my name is known by the One who created not only that one person, but everyone and everything else in existence?

I think sometimes we take for granted the relationship we are able to have with the Creator of the universe, the one who breathed life into our souls.  We live all our lives like we deserve them, like it’s not some great miracle that we are alive in the first place.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” – 1st John 3:1a

The very fact that God chose to call us his Children, in spite of our failing and rebelliousness, should make us stand in awe at the immense goodness of His nature.  Even beyond the gift of life that He has given us, He chose to redeem us by sending Himself to die in our place.  And not just some peaceful death, but the very worst death possible, after enduring terrible torture and scorn.

“looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:2

So since He did all of this, not out of obligation or a resigned acceptance, but for the joy set before Him, endured the worst of punishments, how much more of a reason do we have for praising Him every day?