GLEANINGS — October 19, A.D. 2014                                                                                                               "Known by Name"

The Bible illustrates the relationship of the God and the Church Catholic in several ways. The Church is the bride of Christ, the heavenly bridegroom. The members of the Church are branches, and Jesus is the true Vine. Christ is the Head, the Church is the body. The Church is the everlasting family of the Father and the dwelling place of the eternal Spirit of God. It is the apple of God's eye, the chosen object of His love Who loved His own from before the foundation of the world.

A particularly tender and precious illustration of this union upon which the salvation of the elect depends is found in the 100th Psalm: "Know that the LORD, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture." The simple phrase from the beloved 23rd Psalm, "the LORD is my Shepherd" has been the comfort of His people for ages.

When in John chapter 10 Jesus identifies Himself as the good Shepherd, He says that shepherds call their sheep BY NAME. According to Exodus 33:17 the LORD said to Moses, "I know you by name." The towering Biblical figure Moses is familiar even to those with scant knowledge of Scripture. Do you know who Bezalel is? Two chapters earlier (Exodus 31:2) The LORD said to Moses "See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah." 

Even so it is with all of God's children. He knows and calls us BY NAME. There are many delightful implications of this truth. Here are just a few.

Christians are not cookie cutter people. When Christmas (67 days to go!) treats are made using that fun little tool, each gingerbread man or star or reindeer comes out just the same. But God has made each of His children unlike any other. The glory and majesty of our Creator is unsearchable. Each of us expresses that glory and majesty in a different way. In this writer's opinion, one manner in which we will see God in Heaven is by beholding His image as though looking at portraits of the same loved one in different poses, with different backgrounds, and with varying facial expressions... 

In fact, perhaps our perfectly sovereign and free Creator is bringing forth a number of children that no man can number so that there will be innumerable reflections of Himself in the ages to come, for all to see! In seeing and knowing one another, we will see and know a bit more about Him. Surely it is wondrous to consider HOW MANY sheep the Shepherd has, unfathomable to ponder how He can know each one intimately and exhaustively, and exciting to anticipate what He has in store!

Moreover, within the grand, eternal purpose He has for all things we each have a calling and purpose that no one else can fulfill. In this life, the illusion persists that some are "important people" leaving most of us to wrongfully imagine that we are "unimportant." Nothing could be further from the truth for a child of God! Each one is a person who will be eternally engaged in deeply meaningful service to God. Remember Jesus taught that many who are first shall be last, and vice versa. In ages to come a saint like Bezalel, less known now, will be renowned for the eternal purposes God has for him. Bezalel was just getting started when he served with Moses in this life!

If you are a child of the heavenly Father, a sheep of the good Shepherd, a called one led by the Spirit of God Who indwells every believer, you also are known by name...and called to things greater than you can conceive!