His Plan

Published: July 21, 2021, midnight

b'Do you know what your name means? Recently, I looked up my name, Macy. I found out that \\u201cMacy\\u201d might come from a Hebrewword that means \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Gift of Yahweh.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d (Yahweh is one of God\\u2019s names, and it means I am). I also discovered that the Greek form of the word my name comes from is the same Greek word my brother\\u2019s name comes from. So, in a roundabout way, my brother and I have the same name! Cool, right?\\nMy family and friends aren\\u2019t the only ones who know my name. Jesus, my Savior, knows my name too, as we can see in today\\u2019s passages.\\nDuring His ministry on earth, Jesus said that He is the Good Shepherd who \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153calls his own sheep by name\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d (John 10:3). We are like the sheep in this parable, and when Jesus said that He loves His sheep so much that He lays down His life for them, He meant it. Jesus let Himself be put to death on a cross to take the punishment our sins deserve. But three days later, Jesus rose from the dead, and the first person He showed Himself to was Mary Magdalene (who was one of His followers). When she was weeping outside the empty tomb, Jesus called her by name. And then He told her to go and tell His other followers the good news!\\nGod wants all people to know Him and be saved from eternal death (1 Timothy 2:4). That\\u2019s why He sent Jesus! Everyone who acknowledges that Jesus is Lord and believes that God raised Him from the dead will have their name written in the Book of Life (Romans 10:9-13; Revelation 20:11-12). Because of Jesus\\u2019 life, death, and resurrection, believers can know with confidence that they are forgiven and will one day be resurrected to live with Him forever.\\nThe moment I put my trust in Jesus, His sacrificial blood washed away my sin and my name was inscribed in the Book of Life. There was a party in heaven as \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Macy\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d was added to the long list of God\\u2019s children. And just as Jesus said, \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Mary,\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d to the crying woman outside the tomb, He will one day say \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Macy\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d with the same love. \\u2022 Macy Lee\\n\\u2022 Read John 20:11-18. Can you imagine Jesus saying your name with love? Take a moment to ponder and talk to God about this. \\nJesus said to her, \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Mary.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d John 20:16a (NIV)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nProverbs 16:1-9; Matthew 6:25-34'