Last week, when Ray and Linda were traveling in Chicago they passed a Tootsie Roll factory. Since I am big on Tootsie Rolls, they sent me a picture of the sign pointing to the loading dock. I used them in a devotional.
The problem is that we have two couples in the church named Ray and Linda. They sit very close to each other in the 11:00 worship service and the other Ray was also in Chicago with his sons at the same time. This led to some confusion in the church as to exactly who I was talking about.
Did you know that even though someone else may have the same name you do, God never gets confused. And while the world may look at you as nothing more than a statistic, category, or number, God knows exactly who you are and God claims you as his own.
This is what God says through the prophet Isaiah: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” (Isaiah 43:1-3)
God knows you. God loves you. God will bring you home. That’s very good news.
Prayer: Dear Gracious Heavenly God, you know my few successes and my many failures and yet you still choose to love me. For this, I will always be thankful. Now as your child, help me to shine your light into the darkest of places. Use me to help others know you. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Always remember that even if someone else shares your name, God can always tell you apart.
Just for the record, there are other Tom Robbins out there. One is my nephew. Sharing a name with him is one of the greatest honors of my life. There’s another Tom Robbins who is a very successful writer. I understand he writes racy novels. I wonder if he is as good a writer as I am?
I pray your day is filled with joy and laughter.
Tom Robbins
Daily Devotionals by Dr. Tom Robbins 