Isaiah 45:1-7 (NRSV)
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Chapter 45Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him and strip kings of their robes, to open doors before him- and the gates shall not be closed: Verse 2I will go before you and level the mountains, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, Verse 3I will give you the treasures of darkness and riches hidden in secret places, so that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by your name. Verse 4For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I surname you, though you do not know me.
Verse 5I am the Lord, and there is no other; besides me there is no god. I arm you, though you do not know me, Verse 6so that they may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is no one besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other. Verse 7I form light and create darkness, I make weal and create woe; I the Lord do all these things.
Devotion
As a pastor, when I meet someone for the first time, I try to remember that person’s name. Most often, I forget. The other day I saw some friends from a former congregation whom I had not seen for several years, and while I remembered their faces and other things about them, I could not recall their names. I’ve discovered that it’s better to ask people to remind me of their names rather than to try to hide the fact that I’ve forgotten. God never forgets your name – he knows who you are despite the fact you may not always know him. He understands the smallest details about you, even when you don’t understand just how he is at work in your life. God calls you by name into his good work for the world even though you may have no idea it is happening. Now that’s something worth remembering!
Prayer
Gracious God, thank you for always knowing my name. Help me to hear my name in the many ways you call me each and every day. Amen.