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Listen while you read: "Now Let The Vault Of Heaven Resound"1 (Lyrics) |
Exodus 3:4 – When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses, Moses!" (NIV)
In our area of Canada, we have been inundated with bugs this summer. Having received record levels of snow during the winter and torrential rains amidst the spring, there was standing water and flowing creeks, rivers, and ditches everywhere, and the mosquitoes and black flies have flourished in abundance.
This means that there is also a lot of whacking, swatting, and slapping going on both inside and outside of the house to rid ourselves of these pesky insects. Amidst it all, however, my young grandchild regularly asks me this question every time I smack or whack or swat one of these nuisances and it falls dead to the ground: "What was that bug's name, do you think?"
What was that bug's name? Do bugs have names? As ludicrous as this seems to me, to her it is a reality to consider that each bug has a name. Really, when I consider it, perhaps they do have names, even if there are millions and millions of them. For there are millions and millions of people in this world, too. There were in the past, there are in the present, and God willing, there will be in the future, too. God knows each and every one of us by name. As mind-boggling and impossible as this seems, it is true.
Throughout the Scriptures, God is always calling someone by their name, and all the days ordained for each one of us were written in His book before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:16)
Yes, God knows our names. What a wondrous and marvellous truth. We are not nobodies. We are known by the Lord God, King of the universe, for He cares for each and every one of us.
So, the next time you consider yourself to be unimportant, neglected, a nobody, hold up a great big, red stop sign in your mind's eye and remember: these thoughts are lies. So, put them aside, and in their place, remember that God knows your name. You are important to Him. You are loved beyond measure by Him. You count. No matter who you are or where you have been or what you have done, God knows your name, and in His eyes, you count. This is a divine truth that counts for more than anything that we can imagine.
Prayer: Father God, thank You that each and every one of us is known to You by name and that we count, no matter who we are or what we have done. We count so much that You sent Your one and only Son to earth to live as a man and to die a criminal's death on a cross, so that anyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Help those today who are struggling, feeling like they are nobodies, that they don't count, to come to the understanding of Your love and just how much they do count to You. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.
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Thursday, April 18, 2024 – In East Asia — Pray for more partners who become trainers in our house church planting network in East Asia. We are asking God for around ten of these trainers for each district in our region. May the Lord grant them courage in their next step of faith.
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Good encouragement Lynne . Thank you.
This is the message I needed today. Thank you.
Thank you, Lynne, for encouraging us today. I needed this. Blessings.
Lynne, A great prayer for all, thanks and God bless you and your family!
Thanks Lynne. I was talking with an elderly friend of mine who has a very strong faith, and she says how much she enjoys your devotionals.
Blessings.
Another good message! Thanks Lynne.
You live in a beautiful area. I hope that you have been spared risk from wildfires.
Blessings.
Dear friend Lynne,
Thanks, Lynne. You certainly are somebody who is loved and appreciated! The “bug” story is cute, and your granddaughter is on the right track.
A lovely message to receive on a sunny Sunday morning in Nova Scotia, Lynn.
I enjoyed the image of “whacking and slapping” and then the granddaughter’s question was just precious.
Thanks for brightening my day.
Thank you for the reminder that God knows our name, and that He still calls us to believe, receive, and be relieved. He cares about us, and we need to care for each other. Claim the promises and we need to keep on encouraging each other. Thanks for your encouragement, and according to Isaiah 40:10 and 13 He will also help us.
Good morning Lynne:
My 3-year-old granddaughter asks if a particular fly which meets its’ demise, was her friend. Some weeks ago, there was one fly in the house, and I asked if it was her friend.
Thank you.
Blessings.
Dear Lynne,
Thank you so much for another of your very encouraging and thoughtful devotionals. You have a special way of correlating natural happenings in our daily lives with the reassurance we have of our loving Lord watching over us and ready to serve us. We truly are each a unique individual created by God for a specific purpose as are the many creatures, bugs etc. that appear in the environment. Some of those creatures we really do find annoying and bothersome and as you mention some are very abundant this season and really get our attention. Blessings as you continue submitting these special devotionals.
Dear Lynne! What a chuckle I had in reading your devotion this morning! Blessed be the little children of the world, for they have ingenious ways of teaching us lessons, without even realizing it. I smile now to think of each little bug (and creature) having a name.
Your devotion also reminded me of the story from India (I think!) about the clay pots, one of them being a cracked pot (as opposed to being a ‘crackpot’). The cracked pot lost water along the pathway from the well to the home and considered itself worthless. But the master pointed out the lovely green grass and beautiful flowers along that very path, adding beauty to the world.
Keep up the good work and thank you! Enjoy your day!
(ON)
Thanks Lynne,
I never thought of bugs having names, but Scripture does point out he created them the same way that he created us. So yes, they could have names even if they are only known to God.
Fortunately, we have not had any mosquitoes down here this year and we never see black flies here, but I used to run into them when I was in the Prince George area visiting family years ago.
We would have welcomed some of your rain down here in our area on Vancouver Island, where we have severe drought conditions like so much of our province is suffering from.
Give your granddaughter a hug from me as she brings up such wonderful questions which get me to stop and reflect in new ways. She is a blessing as you are also a blessing.
Amen, Lynne. One of my favorite praise songs is “He Knows My Name.” Blessings.
Lynn,
I was entertained by your granddaughter’s questions. How simple, and yet profound depth. I am uplifted with a smile on my face, and love for our majestic Lord who knows everything, even maybe the names of bugs.
Thank you so much…beautifully written!
Years ago, when my marriage ended, I was so desolate and the Lord gave me a verse Isaiah 43. I have called you by name, you are mine.
it touched me deeply, but God wasn’t finished with me. My sister called to tell me that the Lord had pressed a verse on her heart for me. She gave me the same verse. The very next day I went into a bookstore, and the first thing I saw there was a poster… with you guessed it, the same verse on it. Needless to say, I bought the poster, but I was so blessed and your devotional was also a blessing. Thank you.
However, how do I kill a mosquito now?? How do you kill something that has a name?!!
Good morning Lynne,
I hope you are having a wonderful time on your camping trip and your grandchildren are thrilled with the adventure.
God does know us all by name and maybe the insects of the world too. I am glad your granddaughter didn’t ask you if it was okay to swat the bugs in God’s eyes. I am not sure how I would have answered that one, but I was never challenged.
I do think it is so true that sometimes we do feel a “nobody” and this is a good reminder that to God we are always someone special. For some reason people’s minds go to the negative much more easily than the positive and we have to remember to hold up that “stop sign” to this faulty thinking. As I join in your prayer, I thank you for always being honest and encouraging. May you have many blessings and less swatting today.
Good afternoon Lynn,
You are so right, we are important, even though we sometimes don’t feel that way.
This really touches me where I need to be. Often things my husband with Asperger’s syndrome has said entirely innocently to me. (Much like your grandson). “A mosquito was bothering me yesterday,” he said, happily. “I swatted at it a bit and then I thought it wouldn’t be much trouble to just let it dine on me, so I stopped swatting and let it drink. When it was done, it flew away, filled. And – there hasn’t been ANY ITCH!” He also picks up wasps and bees to escort them out of the house, talking to them as he transports them carefully with his bare hands: “It’s okay, little buddy. We’re almost outside now…” So what you said is just wonderful in all this and I’ll be sure to tell him.