Called

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!”  Isaiah 43:1

Called – This word (qara) primarily denotes a vocal action usually intended for a specific recipient.  Thus, it can be translated as proclaim or invite.  But here it is connected with the idea of naming.  In the Old Testament, naming something often carries with it the idea of sovereignty over the named object.  This is seen particularly in the Genesis account where God names the creation and Adam names the animals.  The word can also mean that the recipient is called out for a specific task.  In this context, calling on the Name of God is an action taken in a time of critical need.  God actually requests that we call on His Name, not only in times when our lives are most uncontrollable but also as an ordinary practice of acknowledging our powerlessness. 

In this verse, God specifically acknowledges that He has named each of us as His own; that our lives are in His hands and that He is our absolute Lord.  This promise of God’s sovereignty over us is not generalized, but quite specific; so specific that He names each one of us individually.  Two important recovery truths reside in this promise.  The first is that we are not insignificant or obscure.  We count!  God Himself has called us by name.  The second is that God’s calling for us is tailored precisely to who we are.  He knows us each by the name He has called us.  No wonder the Bible can say that God knows us better than we know ourselves.  If God knows that much about us, and He still says that he wants to make us whole, to forgive us, to pick us up and help us, how can we refuse such an offer!

God knows you by name!  That means He has a claim on you.  You belong to Him.  And because you belong to Him, you don’t have to be afraid.  He takes care of His own.

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