This devotional was originally published on December 16, 2016.
Names are powerful. There are people who, even if they are thousands of miles away, think of you as soon as they hear your name. Enveloped in just a few letters, which are held together by the simple threads of language, is a trigger that, when heard, causes someone to think of your personality, your laughter, your heartache, your victories and your struggles. Your name is powerful. That said, beyond the personal relationships we have, our names quickly lose their power.
As an example, there are a lot of people in c|Life circles that recognize the name Randy Wade, but the further away you get from c|Life, the less recognizable that name becomes. Don’t believe me? Go visit the White House and just tell the guards that Randy Wade said you can walk right in. Be sure to let me know how that works out for you! You don’t even have to go all the way to Washington. Just go to your local Wal-Mart, fill a basket full of stuff, and then let the cashier know that Randy Wade said you don’t have to pay for it. Again, let me know how that works out for you!
My name has a certain amount of “power” or “influence” in a few very small circles, but despite how powerful it is in those circles, it isn’t really that powerful after all. None of our names are all that powerful after all.
There is a name that is powerful, though. Its power is not derived from its phonetical makeup. Its power isn’t determined simply by what is brought to our finite minds when we hear it. The power in this name is fortified, not by the name itself, but by the one who carries it. The scripture tells us that this name is above every name. The scripture tells us that at this name every knee will bow and every tongue will confess the exact same thing: that Jesus Christ is Lord!
I am not sure what you are going through today. It may be a physical illness, an emotional struggle, a relational crisis or a spiritual valley. What I do know is that, as powerful as the names of our doctors, therapists, family and friends can be, those names do not hold a candle to the name of Jesus.
So, please call on the name of Jesus. His name brings power, authority, peace, hope and, ultimately, life eternal. If you are a follower of Jesus, you know the power that has been afforded to his name. Call on it! If you have never trusted Jesus as Savior, and you sense he is calling you to repentance, I simply leave you with this reminder of just how powerful and important his name is:
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
— Acts 4:12