Called By Name
Isaiah 43:1 (ESV) says, “But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.’”
I must be continually reminded that God called me first and not vice versa. It is futile to run after a God that is uninterested in any relationship or association with me. Yet God has not just made himself available to me. He has called me and invited me to know him and follow in his ways.
Religion is useful for many things. It can create a context for community to grow and flourish. It can be a safe place for families to grow together. Truth and hope are declared in Christian religious communities. However, when religion gets in the way of responding to God’s calling, it becomes a roadblock to greater freedom.
I fear that so many Christians believe their acceptance depends first on their ability to be faithful Christians. Being a good Baptist, a faithful Nazarene, a devout Lutheran, or an on-fire Charismatic is only part of the equation for salvation and hardly a replacement for the friendship of God. All these denominations and theological views point us to God, but none of them can replace the voice of God.
I suppose if God were a silent God, we would be left to discern the will of God through these pathways of truth. If God were inactive, distant, and fickle, we might be better off affiliating with a Christian sect and avoiding the idea of knowing God personally altogether. Some have believed this and live according to that truth.
In contrast to the ideology of dead religion, Isaiah 43:1 teaches us that God calls us. Not just indirectly but personally. He calls by name and gets our attention to deliver a simple message: “Don’t be afraid. You are mine.” Isn’t it stunning to see this message from God to the people of Israel? They had received the law directly from the hand of God, yet God goes beyond rules to relationship. He reveals that his intentions were never to whip the Israelites into holy shape but rather to lead them to the path of life—one where communion with God was possible again.
The beginning of all freedom is hearing God’s voice and responding. When we spend time in prayer, in communities of faith, and in the scripture, God’s voice begins to become clearer and clearer. Sometimes, his word is like a bright light. Other times, the distractions and burdens of life make it seem like a faith glow. God speaks all the same. He is not a silent God.
Sometimes we faith to hear God’s voice because we are tuned into other “voices,” whether that be the ideologies of the age, sources of entertainment, or patterns of sin. In that case, repentance, consecration, and lifestyle changes are needed. Still, for some, all that is needed today is to pause and listen. Ask God to reveal his voice to you and show you his ways.
