Loves Name

Thomas knows his letters and their starting sounds at age three and he recognizes some words by sight, prominently among them God and good. I remember telling him as we read our bedtime Bible stories as much as a year ago that God is the most important word he can know. At first he regularly confused God with good, but even that’s not far off. Neither is love. God is identified as both in scripture. (Mark 10:18, I John 4:16) Thomas has started writing his name in recognizable form, and he’s curious about other’s names, how they’re spelled and why some use nicknames instead of given names.

I err on the side of too much information. There are surely sensitive topics where the minimum answer is best, but when he leans down, inspector style, and asks why there are so many holes around the toilet bowl, we peer into the tank together and find where the water enters and how it exits. We talk about how things work, especially things fearfully and wonderfully made by God, and he remembers more than you’d think possible. 

The other day while we were taking a break from the sun on the front porch, I started spelling names. He’d listen for the first letter, make its sound, and venture a guess. He noticed that Lolly and LeAnn start with the same letter. So do Poppy and Paul. He knows Mama and Daddy, Timothy and Amelia. We went on for as long as I could think of familiar names and then we talked about nicknames and given names. 

For instance, my parents named me Allison LeAnn Brannen. I am their daughter. When I married Paul, he shared his last name with me. When Caroline and her brothers were born, I became Mama and since Thomas was born, I am Lolly. These are my love names- the first given to me by my parents, the second by my husband, the third by my children and the latest by my grandchildren. Even as I said them aloud, I knew my numbering was off because my first and best name was given to me by God before the beginning of time and it will follow me into eternity. 

“But those who embraced him and took hold of his name he gave authority to become the children of God!”

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬ ‭TPT‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/1849/jhn.1.12.TPT

“But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/116/isa.43.1.NLT

“We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. 

God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/116/1jn.4.16.NLT

“But Christ proved God’s passionate love for us by dying in our place while we were still lost and ungodly!”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭TPT‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/1849/rom.5.8.TPT

“Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/116/php.2.9-11.NLT

God has given Jesus the name above every other name, yet His Word calls us heirs together with Christ. We will inherit all that Christ inherits. “You have received the Spirit of full acceptance, enfolding you into the family of God, and you will never feel orphaned.” (Romans 8:15 TPT)

“This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. 

It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” 

God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. 

We know who He is, and we know who we are: Father and children. 

And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! 

We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him!”

Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭MSG‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/97/rom.8.15-17.MSG

“The entire universe is standing on tiptoe, yearning to see the unveiling of God’s glorious sons and daughters!”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭19‬ ‭TPT‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/1849/rom.8.19.TPT

““Do not let your hearts be troubled. 

You believe in God. Believe in me also. 

There are many rooms in my Father’s house. 

If this were not true, would I have told you that I am going there? 

Would I have told you that I would prepare a place for you there? 

If I go and do that, I will come back. And I will take you to be with me. 

Then you will also be where I am.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NIRV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/110/jhn.14.1-3.NIRV

“No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. 

And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. 

And they will reign forever and ever. 

Then the angel said to me, “Everything you have heard and seen is trustworthy and true. 

The Lord God, who inspires his prophets, has sent his angel to tell his servants what will happen soon(quickly or suddenly).

Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book. ””

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭22‬:‭3‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/116/rev.22.6.NLT

“And when he counts her citizens, recording them in his registry, he will write by their names: “This one was born again here!” Pause in his presence”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭87‬:‭6‬ ‭TPT‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/1849/psa.87.6.TPT

“You should not be surprised when I say, ‘You must all be born again.’ 

The wind blows where it wants to. You hear the sound it makes. But you can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going. 

It is the same with everyone who is born with the Spirit.” 

God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. 

Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. 

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world. He sent his Son to save the world through him.”

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭7‬-‭8‬, ‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭NIRV‬‬, John 1:12 NIV

https://bible.com/bible/110/jhn.3.7-17.NIRV

“See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭49‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/116/isa.49.16.NLT

“A miracle I can’t explain,

Oh, He’s given me His name.”

-Ben Fuller IF I GOT JESUS