An Encouraging Word- He Knows My Name

An Encouraging Word- He Knows My Name
November 30, 2025
        Recently in the Wednesday Evening Bible study I lead, we read about how God changed not only Jacob's name, but his entire life in one night of wrestling. We looked at other people in the Bible that had their name and identity changed by God. One that stuck out to me was the Apostle Paul. Originally named Saul, which in Hebrew means "asked for" or "desired".  As the devotional says, Saul was an eloquent member of Jewish society. He had the best education, was a Roman citizen, could speak multiple languages. No one was more devoted to the Jewish religion that Saul was. However, when he met Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, everything changed. Saul, the arrogant strong religious zealot , was reduced to a blind broken man. Within days as he met Ananias and accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior, his entire life changed. God renamed him, rebuilt his identity from the proud strong man named after an Israelite king , to the name Paul, which in Hebrew means "small and humble". God had again changed everything in a moment and began the lifetime work of rebuilding him into a man "after God's own heart". 
     Paul knew that he was unworthy of this great work of Christ in his life. After all, he had been part of the stoning of the Christian martyr Stephen, standing at the edge of the event holding the cloaks of those throwing the stones. BUT GOD, in his endless grace and mercy, chose Saul to become Paul , and to share the Gospel with the Gentiles around  the world. The unworthy became the one God saw as completely worthy. That type of work is the miracle of the Holy Spirit. It does not make sense, It does not need to . When the Spirit of God is in it, things change in miraculous ways. Trying to operate without the Spirit of God in our lives is as futile as trying to operate a vehicle without enough fuel. Why would we want to attempt to do it all on our own when the infinite power source is available to us?  
    
    Most of us do not feel worthy for God to call us into His Service, but through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ, we have been made the Righteousness of God- through Christ Jesus. Shake off the bondage of shame and condemnation. When you are in Christ Jesus, the old person is gone , a new creation is what exists now. Walk in it my friends. He has made you worthy!


Scriptures to Hide in Your Heart:
2 Corinthians 5:17 (English Standard Version)
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”


2 Corinthians 5:21
“For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God .”


Songs to Encourage You:


Hello, My Name Is (Matthew West)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuJWQzjfU3o&list=RDZuJWQzjfU3o&start_radio=1




El Roi (The God That Sees Me) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA91wDkBgX8


Jesus Messiah (Chris Tomlin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL7BlrwZHf8&list=RDIL7BlrwZHf8&start_radio=1
You are Loved Beyond Measure! Praying for You This Week!


Melissa Boggs
Christian Life Academy 

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