He Knows My Name

In the movie, Cars, there’s an incidental character that stole my heart. His name is Fred. He’s a lovable old car, rusty as all get out, a die-hard racing fan whose headlights are a bit dim – if you know what I mean.

Fred shows up early in the movie at a post race rally for the star of the show, Lightning McQueen, the rookie racing sensation. There McQueen calls him by name, obviously reading Fred’s "Hellomynameis" personalized plate.

Fred is blown away. "Lightning McQueen knows my name!" he shouts.

As the enormity of this truth dawns on him, his jaw, that rusty front bumper, drops.
God knows your name! In fact, he knows more than that. He knows everything there is to know about you. He knows you. That ought to make your "front bumper" fall to the ground. "God knows my name! God knows me!"

That fact blows me away every time I think of it. God knows me as I am now. He knows my thoughts. He knows my desires. He knows my faults. He knows my victories and defeats. He knows me and he loves me.

When I first sensed God’s call to preach, I ran across these words spoken by God to his prophet Jeremiah. "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5, NIV)

The weight of those words knocked me off my feet – my "front bumper" dropped! God knew Jeremiah would be a prophet before he was born. That’s what the Bible said. "Before you were born I wet you apart." Those were God’s words to Jeremiah and he used them to speak to me. "Before you were born I set you apart." God knew I would be a pastor and preacher before I was conceived. Others saw the tell-tale signs years later, but God saw them when I was a single cell just one second old. "There’s Mike the preacher I’m sending to Argonia in 1998." Don’t you doubt it! When I was just a zygote, God knew that I’d be where I am now. And he knew much more than that. God knew then every day of my life from beginning to end. He knew every day that I have known and he knew every day that I have yet to know. He knew the day I would die. And he knew beyond that. He knew and longed for the day we’d meet face to face in our eternal home.

I say with the psalmist, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me..." (Psalm 139:6, NIV)
Friends, come what may, good or bad, God is with you. He knows you He loves you. Let your "front bumper" hang limp in awe.

I want you to think about where you’re at in your life. What’s happening right now? Are you experiencing not so good times? God knows about your troubles. Are you tasting sweet success? God knows about your victories. No matter what’s going on right now. God knows. He’s with you.

Now think about where you’ve been. Take a trip through your past. Remember the good times and the bad, the hurts and the healings, the triumphs and the tragedies. Don’t skip over the days that caused your greatest pain. Don’t hide from the horrors you’ve endured. Face those days you’d rather forget and know this: God knew every one of those days would come before you were born. He knew them and...he walked through them with you.

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me..." (Psalm 23:4, NIV)

Some of you hate the God who knew because, knowing what he knew, he could’ve, would’ve, should’ve kept you from harm. "Why?" you scream. "Why did my business go under?" "Why did my husband leave me?" "Why did I have to be molested?" "Why did that tornado hit my house?" "Why wasn’t my child born normal?" "Why did my dad beat me?" "Why did my friends turn their backs on me?" "Why did my crops have to fail?" "Why was my daughter killed in an accident?" "Why was I abandoned when I needed love most?"

To be quite honest, I can’t answer a single one of those questions. I don’t understand why garbage gets dumped on God’s children. But listen! I do understand God’s great love and compassion for those who suffer. I do understand that he knows you and weeps when you weep. And I do understand that at the end of all things every evil deed will be dealt with perfectly and justly and every tear will be wiped away from every believer’s eye. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. (See Revelation 21:4.)

Until that day, I choose to walk daily with the One who knows me and loves me – the One who makes my "front bumper" drop every day. I choose to trust my Father even when life doesn’t make sense. I choose to honor Jesus with every breath that I take. I seek to bring my God glory, with the Holy Spirit’s help, by every word I speak and every deed I do.

Will you choose the same path? Following God wherever he leads you today and tomorrow and the next day. Trusting him when life isn’t so great and when it’s so marvelous you can hardly stand it. Honoring him with every word, every deed, every breath. Seeking his glory – and not your own – all the days of your life.

God knows you and he loves you. Give your life to him.

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