I Have Called You By Name


About a week ago when Annie and Max were at the house we sat down with them and watched the first episode of The Chosen.

If you've not seen the series (which is still in production) I urge you to watch it.  You can stream it from Netflix or Amazon Prime and I believe you can even get it on You Tube.

It is the story of Jesus.

The first episode is about Mary Magdalene and in explaining to a priest the change he saw in her, she says, "I don't understand it myself - but here is what I can tell you:  I was one way and now I am completely different, and the thing that happened in between was him."

That is how I feel.

I wish I could explain it better - but knowing Jesus, TRULY knowing Him, changes you.

If you had asked me "before" if I knew Him, I would have told you "yes", but I would have been wrong.  

BEFORE I knew OF Jesus - but I didn't actually KNOW Him.  And for me, the difference came when I finally, FINALLY surrendered and acknowledged I can't do this on my own...

On my own, I mess things up.  On my own, I make poor decisions.  On my own - I sin.

I think acknowledging this was the first step in knowing Jesus.  The second came from studying His word - the Bible.  In it, I discovered God's character, and I understood why He needed to send His son.

In reading the Bible I recognized that without that gift of God's mercy and grace, we were all doomed.

Isaiah 43:1-2 says this:

Do not be afraid, because I have reclaimed you.

I have called you by name; you are mine.

When you go through the sea, I am with you.

When you go through rivers, they will not sweep you away.

When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, 

and the flames will not harm you.

GOD RECLAIMED ME.  He put His arms around me, and told me I was His.

I am so grateful!


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