The Name You Need Most Today

Welcome to The Overflow!  I’m glad you’re here.  This is a place where faith is spilled and souls are filled. I hope you’ll linger a while and be encouraged. You can also meet me on Facebook  or read my devotion at  Proverbs 31 Ministries today. If you’re looking for the free printable on praying the names of Jesus, you’ll find that at the end of this blog. Enjoy!

My friend and I were savoring warm conversation and cold ice tea on the back deck when a clamorous cry reached our ears. 

“Mo-ommmmmmmmmmy!”

Our daughters had been playing in the woods all morning. They’d made a “house” with blankets strung across low-lying limbs and built a “campfire” with a mound of stray sticks. They’d “cooked” dinner in buckets filled with rainwater and “planted a garden” of dandelions in the sandbox. 

Armed with a passel of baby dolls and a heap of imagination, they’d passed the time in happy frolic while we enjoyed a rare morning of connection. From where we sat, it was hard to tell if the sing-song shout was merely an offshoot of their amusement or a chime for help.

Though the girls were within earshot, the plush canopy of treetops obstructed our view, so we abandoned our lawn chairs and crossed the yard to investigate. 

“Mo-ommmmmmmmmmy!”

At the sound of the second cry, my friend quickened her pace. She flashed me a wry smile and explained her hurry. 

“My daughter hollers my name a lot. But she only calls me Mommy when she’s hurting.” I nodded and accelerated my speed, too.

When our legs reached the tree line on that day long ago, we found our daughters huddled together on the ground—one whispering words of comfort and care; another trembling silent with a drizzle of tears and a bloody knee.

“She tripped on that big bump,” my girl explained. I eyed the mangled tree root and nodded in sympathy.

My daughter’s hurting playmate tried to smile, but her lips quivered with sadness. Immediately, her mother squatted at her side.

 I reached for my little girl’s hand and tugged her out of the way so my friend could tenderly  inspect the slender gash on her daughter’s leg. 

“It’s okay,” she assured her wounded one. “Mommy’s here now. Mommy’s here…”

She pulled her distressed diva onto her lap and wrapped her into loving arms. And, suddenly, the name that had been her daughter’s clamoring cry for help became a quiet croon of consolation.

“Mommy,” the little one murmured. “Mommy.” Her grimace gave way to quiet relief. And it seemed the name on her lips was a tonic for her dismay.

When I envision that little girl in her mommy’s arms, I realize that’s a picture of the privilege entrusted to every child of God.

Because we are His, we are invited to call on Him by the name that meets our need. At first glance, we may wonder why it matters at all. But as we engage with Jesus by his many names, we gain a peephole into the depth of his  heart and discover the immeasurable breadth of His faithfulness.

I learned this powerful truth when I was in a season of silent discouragement. My wounded heart longed for a kind of comfort even my dearest friends couldn’t provide. 

One day I finally shared my struggle with a group of women in my Bible Study. And like that mother in my woods who once wrapped her arms around an aching child, an older woman wrapped her arms around my weary frame.

She pulled me close to her heart and shared these life-changing words: “Honey, you’ve got a Savior who has a name to meet your needs. You’ve just gotta call on Him.”

She pulled out her Bible right then and there and flipped those time-worn pages to Psalm 9:10. With tender reverence, she read me these beautiful words: Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

“I don’t know why anyone would be content to know Jesus by just one name,” she said with a chuckle as she closed her Bible. “That would be like only eating one ice cream flavor all of your life!” She gave me another hug and encouraged me to go home and explore the names of Jesus for myself.

Intrigued, I took her up on the challenge. I began in the book of John and took note of the names Jesus called himself. I scribbled the meaning of each name in my journal and asked Jesus to help me know Him more. Next, I read the other gospels, followed by Paul’s letters and the book of Revelation.  Eventually, I discovered there are more than 700 names for the Friend I call Jesus.

I learned firsthand that our Savior’s aliases don’t represent a fickle oddity; rather they express a matchless complexity.

Jesus can’t be defined by one name alone.

The multitude of his names reflects the magnitude of His character. And each name reveals a way we can trust Him more.

When we are anxious, we can trust the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 7:14)

When we need assistance, we can cry out to the Helper (Hebrews 13:6).

When we feel lost, we can talk to  the Way (John 14:6).

When we feel confused, we can seek  the Truth (John 14:6).

Like the little girl who once raised a clamoring cry in my woods,  sometimes we speak the name of Jesus as a humble holler for help. Other times, we whisper it as a soothing song of comfort. 

But ALWAYS, we speak it in faith and we lift it in praise. And when we do, the One whose name is above all names comes running with open arms.

“The Eternal God is your shelter; He holds you up in His everlasting arms” (Dt 33:27)

Thanks for taking time to meet us here today, friends. I’m not sure what this new year holds, but I’d love to stay connected and continue to encourage you with the truth of God’s word.  If you’re an event planner, I’m accepting speaking requests for 2021 and 2022. I’d love to talk with you about ways we can partner in ministry together and encourage and equip the women you serve.  Check out my speaking page for details or contact me for more information at overflow@aliciabruxvoort.net

Also, if you’d like a resource to help you call on Jesus by name in prayer, I made this free printable just for you:  Calling on Jesus by Name.

And if you’re not in a hurry, let us know in the comments what name of Jesus means the most to you right now. Have a great week!