Acts 9:32-43 | You Will Do Greater Things Than Theseਨਮੂਨਾ

In these two miracles, Peter calls them both by name. “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you.” And “Tabitha, get up.” Aeneas and Tabitha are seen. They are known. Peter and the other apostles are known. They are leaders in the church, and their reputation precedes them. Tabitha is known to the disciples in Joppa as someone always doing good works and helping the poor. She had a reputation as well. We don’t know about Aeneas’s reputation, other than as a man who was paralyzed and stuck in bed.

But God knew them deeper still. Through Peter, the Holy Spirit called to them by name. They were not just part of a vast sea of nameless faces, two of the countless people throughout history who were oppressed by sickness and death, unable to help themselves. The God who saw Hagar in the wilderness in Genesis 16, and called her by name, saw Aeneas and Tabitha in their need. Through Peter, God responded to them personally and intimately.

Calling someone by name shows respect and honor; it elevates that person and acknowledges his or her agency. A name indicates that they are a unique individual, not merely a particular class or occupation or characteristic. A name is shorthand for the entirety of who a person is. We all know it’s possible to know a person’s name but not know anything else about that person. But it’s hard to really know a person without knowing his or her name. The name is a gateway to knowing someone. Think about how it feels when a friend or loved one calls you by name.

God knows your name and calls you by name. Take a moment to let that sink in. However you are known to the people around you, God knows you deeper still. Whatever you are facing, whatever sin or sickness or struggle, God knows. Whatever is inside of you—the good, the bad, and the ugly—God knows. And he has paid for it all by the death of his Son. Matthew Wellmann says, “The devil knows your name but calls you by your sin. God knows your sin but calls you by your name.”

Take comfort and take courage today because God knows your name and calls you by your name! Ask God to tune your heart, so you are better able to hear him calling you by name. And look for ways to learn and say the names of others around you. Let them know that God knows their names, too.