He Knows my Name!

I was a junior in high school when, as I passed our school’s principal in the hall one day, Mr. Kelly he looked at me and said, “Good morning, Donny.” I replied likewise with a cool nonchalance, even though my pride was swelling as I moved past him. The highest authority in the largest part of my world knew me by name. Even more than by pride, though, I was affected by the great sense of belonging that moment gave me. When he said my name aloud, I knew that I mattered to him, that I mattered to my school, and that I mattered to my classmates. I had a purpose in that place.

I was reminded of that moment, and that feeling, while reading a seemingly nondescript conclusion of God’s message to Aaron in Leviticus 10: 8-11. Aaron’s brother, Moses, was God’s ‘main man,’ having led the His people out of Egypt and then spending time alone with Him to receive the Ten Commandments. In this chapter, though, Aaron had just been made high priest (i.e., the leader of the priests) and God spoke directly to him, alone, for the first time. His message contained instructions Aaron was to give the priests, including that they should not be drunk when ministering. (Who said we can’t learn from the Old Testament?) God’s message in verse 11 ended with the following:

“…and so as to teach the sons of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them through Moses.”

What struck me was not how God speaks in third person occasionally [go ahead, reread it], but that He mentioned Moses’ name. When I read it, my first thought was, “How cool is that for Moses,” and then that if it had been my name, I would have run throughout the camp yelling, “God said my name!”

But not even half-a-beat later I had another realization, that God does know my name. He knows everyone’s name, in fact, and told us as much many times, including these below:

But now, thus says the LORD, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!” – Isaiah 43:1

“To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” – John 10:3

If He, that is, the highest authority in my largest world, knows me by my name, what sense does that give me now? Is it what I felt as a junior in high school when my principal knew my name? In a way, perhaps, but it’s such a greater sense of belonging when “my largest world” is the kingdom of God. That I matter to Him. That I matter to His kingdom. That I matter to… you? That… is a sense of purpose!

But it also gives me the sense that now I’ve got a job to do, that is to honor what has been given to me as part of His world. I have a responsibility to God and to you and I should relish serving you both before serving myself. And I should walk like Jesus did so that when others look at me, they would see Him glorified instead.

I’m no priest but I am Don, and God knows that.