Love Has a Name – Week 1 Devotions (With Scripture)
Monday, May 22, 2023 – Read Isaiah 43:1 - But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob,  he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
One of the most mind-boggling thing about God is that of the 7.63 billion people alive on the earth today, God knows your name and mine. He knows us personally and individually. He knows where we live, what we think, and the abilities we possess. He even knows the number of hairs on your head and mine (Matthew 10:30). Though our finite minds have trouble grasping this infinite knowledge, it is reassuring to know that the God of the universe, the Creator and Sustainer of all that exists, knows your name and mine, and claims us as His own.

Tuesday, May 23, 2023 – Read Psalm 139:13-16 - For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,     I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
The psalmist marvels over the fact that God takes the time to fashion and form us within our mother’s womb. We are all hand-made originals. Each priceless and unique in His sight. Each created in His image for the purpose of reflecting His glory in and through our lives. We are small, in-process versions of our big creator God. Flowers bloom, waterfalls cascade, cheetahs run fast, and birds fly high; but none of them is made in God’s image—only we are.

Wednesday, May 24, 2023 – Read Psalm 139:1-4, 17-18 - You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
  you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. 5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. . . . 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you.
The same God who fashioned us in our mother’s womb knows us better than we know ourselves. He is familiar with all our ways and even before a word is on our tongue, He knows it completely. Only those closest to us can finish our sentences. That’s how the psalmist describes God. Not only does He know us, but He’s always thinking about us. The number of thoughts He has of you and me each day are too numerous to count. They would outnumber the grains of sand. Take joy in knowing that God knows you and is always thinking about you because He loves you more than you can know.

Thursday, May 25, 2023 – Read Psalm 139:23-24 - 23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
It’s one thing for God to know us, it’s quite another for us to invite Him into our hearts and lives. But that’s what the psalmist is doing in this passage. He is inviting God to search him, to know him, and to test him. To reveal potential blind spots and pitfalls in his life and to steer him in the direction that leads to life everlasting. Will you let God search you today? Will you let Him know your heart and test your thoughts? Will you receive His correction with humility and obedience, and be led in the way that leads to eternal life?

Friday, May 26, 2023 – Read John 10:14, 3-4 - 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
The 23rd Psalm which begins, “the Lord is my Shepherd,” is by far the most well-known and most comforting passage in the Bible. It reminds us that God walks by our side throughout all of life’s journey and is especially close when we go through challenging and difficult times. Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He knows each of us by name. He knows what we need. He knows what we desire. And He knows what it will take for us to experience life abundant and eternal. Jesus is calling your name today. Do you hear His voice? Do you trust His love? Are you willing to follow in His footsteps? Certainly, “His sheep follow Him because they know His voice!”