Hmm? What Was Your Name Again?
A Devotional
© 2001 Steve Lattier and Men’s Help Ministries


I personally can’t remember how many times I have asked that question. It is actually kind of embarrassing. See, I can remember exact quotes from a conversation I heard in a nature camp in 1977 but I struggle with putting names with faces. Oh, I recognize people well enough but unless I can spend some time with a person and get to know them then I have just about a zero chance of retaining their name! I know that I am probably an extreme example, but how are we to remember what our God is like if we do not even spend time with Him?

The Word:
John 14:8 Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." [9] Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father'? [10] Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.

Jesus was pretty taken aback by Philip’s statement. Philip ordinarily didn’t say a lot and this was kind of a shocker. I can almost hear the puzzled tone in Jesus’ voice when he answered him with "Don’t you know me?" That goes to show us that simply spending time with God doesn’t necessarily mean that you will know Him. It would quite the same as going to the library, sitting at a table with a really enjoyable book and not reading it. You, I, nor any of the graduates of the speed reading course are going to gain a single thing if we don’t interact with that book by reading it. Our knowledge of God is just like that, we will never know Him unless we interact with Him regularly. Another way that we can know our God is to read His story, that He left us! I am of course talking about the Bible. It is an awe inspiring book that tells the story of a God that is more loving and can show more compassion and mercy than any one of us ever thought of! The Bible even tells us that we should read it regularly, so that we can learn what is right. The King James version says it best.

The Word:
2 Timothy 2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Why, in the whole bible does it mention that we can gain God’s approval, in only this one place? It is because this is one of the easiest ways to learn about God and His love for us! We should spend time with God learning what He has to tell us, and we should spend time reading His eternal Word that He left us as a reference manual. I know that the Apostle Paul was brought up on a diet of Old Testament Law. In His day many were taught or required to recite all 613 commandments that God gave the nation of Israel. Hence the Pharisees and many others were experts in the law, but still did not know the God that they served! That is what made Paul (Saul’s) conversion so spectacular, that is of course putting aside the slaughtering he had done. He was as knowledgeable in all the laws as anyone in that time yet, when he met Jesus on the road that fateful afternoon, it put all his knowledge into perspective. In keeping with our theme just as a side note it wasn’t until Paul got to meet Jesus (Acts 9:1-7) Often though that is not going to be enough. I am going to get pretty bold and tell you that there is probably going to be several ministers and preachers in Hell. I will pause just second and let you soak that in. I am not talking just about the crooks and charlatans I am talking about ones that have brought people to Christ! Ones that have laid hands on the sick and infirm and they have been healed! Ones that have wielded God’s own power! Read this next verse and see if you can catch where this is heading.

The Word:
Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. [22] Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' [23] Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Did you see that? As plain as day it says that not every one who knows that God is THE God will get in. Not everyone who knows that Jesus died for them will get in. Sadly they don’t have the answer, even as simple as it is. You know, Christian, that simply tithing won’t get you to heaven. Nor will being a Baptist deacon, neither will being able to "recite the Rosary". Getting to be an Elder in the Lutheran denomination isn’t sufficient either. Now I am not picking on all these religions, I am though trying to drive home an vital point. It is this, "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers. " When you get to Heaven is Jesus going to ask you for your name again? It doesn’t matter one whit if you can quote chapter and verse from the bible if you are not known. It won’t score you a single point if you can exegete whole chapters intelligibly. Your passage through the Pearly Gates will not be affected one way or the other if you can retrace every step that Jesus took or if you have written books on his life and ministry. Get this, it doesn’t matter how well YOU KNOW JESUS! It is all about how well Jesus knows you, my friend. It is all about relationship. Our relationship with God is supposed to be a two way street. Let Him in far enough to learn about you. Sure, He is God and knows all about you, but have you let your guard down and actually let Him in? That is what He is after, you know, us being bold enough to let Him in and see all of our dirty little secrets. God wants you and I to trust Him enough to not just ask Him for things in prayer but to be with Him and let Him in. We should regularly tell our God of our failing as well as thank Him for the successes in our lives. Men how many stories have you shared with your buddies (Ladies, your best girlfriend) that you have not shared with God? If you are sharing more with friends and family than you are with God then I must say that your priorities are backwards. Do not let anything come between you and God. Your relationship is the highest priority! Don’t let work get in the way. Certainly don’t let playtime get in the way. Listen to this too, don’t let your religion get in the way of your relationship either. Let God know who you are, all the time, not just on Sundays and Wednesdays!

Pray with me: Father I come to you with a broken heart today. I have been raised in the knowledge of you. Lord I think I even know a little about you and what you did. Lord I have made a mistake and fallen way short of your mark, I have not let you know me. Help me to be involved in you so that you will know me too. Lord, today I invite you in, come into my heart not just at church, but every minute of every day. Help me live my life so that when I get to Heaven you won’t have to ask me my name. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen!

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