July 3, 2022

I AM with you. I wish to walk and talk with you just as friends do—to share your inmost thoughts, your dreams, your wishes, your hurts, and your fears. I desire for us to be friends and to walk and talk as friends each and every day.

I have many names. Some of these names include Emmanuel, Savior, Son of God, Faithful and True. I have many more names because each name reveals an aspect of my character. Each name tells you more about me.

Names are important. Your name reveals much about you, also. Your last name reveals your lineage. Your first name reveals how your parents saw you, and the hopes and dreams they had for you. But, you too, have many names. You have the name your children call you, and maybe the name your grandchildren call you. You may have a nickname that your coworkers or friends call you. And you may have a special name that your partner calls you because he or she loves you and has a special name for you. Each of these names has a special meaning. They reveal something different about you.

Someone does not become known to you until you know their name. This is true whether it is a person or an animal or even a plant in creation. For without a name, a flower is just a flower. When you know the name, it may be a rose or a carnation or a day lily. When you see a dog, it is just a dog until you know its name. Then it becomes a pet, either someone else’s pet or your pet, and you begin to know it. The same is true for people you meet. They are just a person until you know their name. Then, you begin to know them.

I know your name. God knows your name. The Holy Spirit knows your name because we know you. But you also have a special name. A name that your Heavenly Father has given you. It is “Child of God.” Hold this in your heart today—this special name “Child of God”—for that is what you are, a child of God, known and loved by your Heavenly Father.