“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Acts 2:21
The Name
Daily Devotion – May 31, 2023
Devotion based on Acts 2:21
See series: Devotions
Consider the curious power of a name. On the one hand, a name is simply a sequence of selected vowels and consonants. But when you see or hear the name of someone you know, that name is an instant trigger. It immediately delivers to the front of your mind everything you know about that person. It delivers to you the person’s appearance. It delivers to you the sound of the person’s voice. It delivers to you that person’s personality, likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. It can also deliver to you all the good and bad experiences you’ve had with that person.
Some names have the power to make you smile and laugh and bathe you in warm memories. Other names may have the power to make you wince and grow silent. That is how potent a name can be.
Which brings us to the most powerful name there is. When you and I take even a moment to meditate on the name of our Lord, his truth and beauty arise. There is his goodness, his justice, his mercy, his faithfulness, his power, his wisdom, his eternity, his glory. And there is his grace, his undeserved love for you and me in Jesus Christ.
And that’s why the name of our Lord is something more. The name of our Lord is not simply a trigger that delivers to my mind all the profound truths his Word has revealed. The name of the Lord is the name that saves my soul. As the apostle Peter says elsewhere, “There is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
When God the Holy Spirit, through his gospel, creates within me the miracle of faith in my Savior; and when, in faith, I call on the name of the Lord, forgiveness is mine, God’s promises are mine, eternal life is mine. All mine through faith in the name of the One who lived a perfect life in my place, suffered and died for my sin, and rose from the grave. That is the power of the name of the Lord.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, by your Spirit move me to call on your name every single day. Amen.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.