The Upper Room Daily Devotional of Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Who Are You?" for Tuesday, 19 April 2016 with Scripture: John 10:1-6

The Upper Room Daily Devotional of Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Who Are You?" for Tuesday, 19 April 2016 with Scripture: John 10:1 “Yes, indeed! I tell you, the person who doesn’t enter the sheep-pen through the door, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 But the one who goes in through the gate is the sheep’s own shepherd. 3 This is the one the gate-keeper admits, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep, each one by name, and leads them out. 4 After taking out all that are his own, he goes on ahead of them; and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. 5 They never follow a stranger but will run away from him, because strangers’ voices are unfamiliar to them.”
6 Yeshua used this indirect manner of speaking with them, but they didn’t understand what he was talking to them about.
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The LORD says, “See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands.”[Isaiah 49:16 (NRSV)]
I have difficulty recognizing people’s faces, including those of my friends I haven’t seen for some time. This can be embarrassing. I met a former classmate one day in a mall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; but I did not recognize him — even though we had been good friends in school. I asked, “Who are you?” Because he is kind, he responded graciously.
Remembering people is difficult for many of us but not for our great and faithful God. God never forgets us and knows each of us by name. Isaiah 45:3 says, “I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name” (NIV). John 10:3 tells about the Good Shepherd: “He calls his own sheep by name.” God even knows the name of each star in heaven. “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name,” says Psalm 147:4. How much more will God know and remember God’s children on earth!
We may worry that our friends will one day ask, “Who are you?” However, we can rest assured that wherever we are and at any time, we can rely on God to remember us always. This is the promise of our loving Father in heaven.
The Author: Kong Peng Sun (Singapore)
Thought for the Day: God knows us each by name — and will never forget who we are.
Prayer: God, our creator and father, thank you for the assurance that you know and recognize each of us always. Amen.
Prayer focus: My former classmates---------------------