In Exodus 3 Moses asked God an interesting question, “When I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?'” Somehow Moses knew that Israel, in their slavery and bondage would ask for a new step of intimacy with God. In Exodus 6 we find that God had revealed Himself to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but He had never shared with them His name. When He spoke to Moses He called Himself I AM THAT I AM; He then referred to Himself as IAM but then He told Moses, “YAWEH . . . has sent me to you. This is MY name forever”. There is great intimacy in God’s name. There is great love and care in knowing that He has not merely come to us to rescue or intervene, He has come to share His name, to have relationship, to pour out His love, His friendship and His glory.
In Luke 10 we find the fullness of our relationship with God. Jesus reveals that not only has God spoken His name to and over us but HE has written our names in heaven. Jesus died for all mankind but He died for each of us just the same. God was not merely bringing salvation to all humanity, He was bringing salvation to each one of us, name by name, personally, intimately, lovingly. Today I encourage you to surround yourself with God, His love, His perfection and His Name. He has chosen to come close to us and to call us by name, may we be encompassed by YAWEH, but the LORD that comes near and that loves with an everlasting love.