Beautiful Wedding. Wrong Name.

It was a beautiful wedding.  But I used the wrong name.  Yeah, I did that.

A few years back I officiated a wedding in Sebring, Florida.  The service was just beginning.  We all stood as the lovely bride walked down the church aisle with her father.  I asked everyone to be seated, did a brief welcome, and began the service.  

Then, it happened.

While I was talking, the bride gave me a look.  I stopped, leaned her way, and listened to her whisper these words:  "You're calling me by the wrong name."  My heart froze.  I could not believe I did that during a wedding in front of all those people.

Fortunately, we all got a good laugh out of it.  She was a good sport.  And we continued the service as I made sure to get her name right the rest of the way.

Sometimes we humans mess up names.  It happens with us.  But not with God.

God is spectacular with names!

He knows the stars by name.  All of them!  That's pretty amazing considering there are more stars in the sky than we can count.  Psalm 147:4 tells us "He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name."  Simply incredible, isn't it?!

He also knows His people by name.  Every single one of them.  In John 10:3, we read this about a shepherd:  "he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out."  Then, in verse 14 of that same chapter, we hear Jesus say "I am the Good Shepherd, and I know my own."  Jesus is drawing a comparison here.  Just as a shepherd knows His sheep, Jesus knows His people.

See, God knows more than just our names.  Way more!  He knows our thoughts, personalities, hopes, fears, dreams, and concerns.  This is because we matter to Him.  He watches us closely and cares about us deeply.

It's comforting to know.  People can mess up our names and misunderstand our hearts.  But Almighty God knows our names perfectly and understands our hearts precisely.  And that's just one more reason why a relationship with Him, through His Son Jesus Christ, is such a special blessing.

Let God be at the center of your life.  You'll never regret it.  He already knows your name and everything else about you.  And He will more than treat you right.   That sounds like a mighty good deal, doesn't it?!