Yesterday, we talked about a Name above every name. Today, something even more surprising: the One whose Name is above every name knows yours.
Not your reputation. Not your record. Your name.
The Misconception: God Puts Up With Me
A lot of believers live with a quiet, unspoken posture toward God: I'm here on probation. We assume He keeps us around out of obligation. He loves us in the technical sense — the way you might "love" a coworker you're required to work with. We're tolerated. One more failure, one more slip, and maybe He finally walks away.
That posture shapes everything. It makes prayer feel like a performance review. It makes worship feel like trying to stay on good terms. It makes closeness feel risky.
What Jesus Actually Said
On the night before the cross, Jesus told His disciples something that should stop us cold. John 15:15: "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."
Not servants. Friends.
These were the same disciples who would scatter that very night. Peter would deny Him three times before morning. Jesus knew all of it — and He called them friends anyway.
Known by Name
"Blessed Be" by Cory Asbury is a song of someone genuinely stunned by this. He asks how the God of creation could possibly know his name — and choose to call him friend. How could He offer salvation, and keep covering him time after time?
The song also asks the question shame never wants you to ask: where would you be without Jesus? For Cory, the answer is honest. He'd still owe what he could never pay. He'd be in over his head. He'd be lost.
Instead, he's known. And the only response big enough is to bless the name of the Lord — for His goodness and His victories.
Talk to Him Like a Friend
Here's a simple invitation for today: talk to God like a friend instead of a boss. No performance. No polished prayer. Just honest. Tell Him what's on your mind the way you would with someone who already knows you and isn't going anywhere.
Because He does. And He isn't.
This is Chapter Three of OUT OF THE DUST. Catch up on Chapters One and Two, or come back tomorrow for Chapter Four — and why closeness with God isn't just for the super-spiritual.
🎧 Spotify | 🍎 Apple Music
