Anchor Devotional

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The Value of Your Name

“‘Can a mother forget [her] baby … and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.’” Isaiah 49:15-16

At our church camp, one horse had no name. Someone suggested we call her No Name (pronounced, “No-nah-me”). It stuck! And it made her unique. We’re all identified by our names, aren’t we? People don’t say of me, “The man with the balding head and blue eyes.” They say, “Curry.” There is worth and recognition in a name.

Jesus knows your name. Isn’t it astounding that the Lord of the Universe would know you that well? Jesus said of Himself, “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (John 10:3). He knows and values you. Even when you feel inferior or worthless, He remembers your name!

But He also has a new name reserved for you. “To him who overcomes … I will give a new name” (Revelation 2:17). Jesus has a new name just for you, one that claims you for His own. Yet there’s more! “I will write on him the name of my God …, and I will also write on him my new name” (Revelation 3:12). You’ll share Jesus’ name and identity for eternity. His powerful name—the one we call on to be saved—will be your family name, too.

SCRIPTURE FOCUS
Isaiah 49:1, 8-16

INSIGHT
“He knows my name/ He knows my every thought/ He sees each tear that falls/ And hears me when I call.” (Tommy Walker, 2000)

THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Jeremiah 29-30
Psalm 118
1 Corinthians 10

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