Day 1 | Known by Name
Nameless No More
Dear Friends,
Welcome to Day 1 of Known by Name—a 5-day journey to rediscover your identity in Christ.
Have you ever felt invisible or overlooked—just another face in the crowd? Whether it's being called "Trainee," "Substitute," or something far more painful, we all carry labels that can diminish our worth. But God sees through every temporary title and speaks directly to our hearts. You are not nameless to Him. You are known.
In today’s reading, we begin in Psalm 139—a passage that reminds us of God’s deep and personal knowledge of us. He knit us together, He knows our thoughts, and He even keeps track of every hair on our heads. That’s not anonymity—that’s intimacy.
As you read Krista’s devotion today know that God doesn’t just know your name—He gives you new ones. Friend. Heir. Daughter. New Creation. These aren’t just pretty words. They are your reality in Christ.
Let this be the start of a powerful shift—not in what the world calls you, but in who God declares you to be.
Encouraging You in God’s Truth,
P.S. Know someone who needs a reminder that they’re seen and loved? Feel free to pass along today’s reflection—it might be just the encouragement their heart needs today.
Nameless No More
By Krista Lynn Campbell
His nametag read: Trainee. Not Bob or Jim, just Trainee. My heart ached for him as the line snaked through the small post office. Slow and unsure, Trainee stopped to seek advice from his supervisor. When I approached the counter, he apologized for the wait and explained his in-training status. I nodded my head. His namelessness brought back similar nameless memories.
Years before, I had returned to teaching as a substitute at a local Christian school. Eager to begin, I checked into the elementary office and gathered my lanyard. The green paper tucked inside the plastic sleeve read: SUBSTITUTE. Not Mrs. Campbell, just SUBSTITUTE, in all capital letters. To me, it said, “Kick Me.”
My enthusiasm popped like a balloon. Was it necessary to declare my substitute status? The students and staff would recognize me as the fill-in teacher. Frustrated and dejected, I walked to my classroom with my scarlet word dangling from my neck. Hello, my name is Substitute.
Trainee and Substitute were nameless to others, but when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, my namelessness vanished. My new names, written in the precious blood of Jesus Christ, are sprinkled throughout His love letter.
Friend
“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” (John 15:15).
Heir
“Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Rom. 8:17).
Daughter
“I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord” (2 Cor. 6:18).
A New Creation
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here” (2 Cor. 5:17)!
My encounter with Trainee reminded me how the enemy desires to strip us of our names and our identities. He deceives us into believing that we live in anonymity. God Almighty says otherwise. The Good Shepherd knows His sheep by name (John 10:14). We are never nameless to God. He knows us and calls us by our names: friend, heir, daughter, and new creation. What an honor to wear nametags identifying who we are and whose we are!
Read:
Reflect:
Have you ever felt nameless before? What does that feel like?
What is the most meaningful name given to you by God and why?
How does having a new name in Christ influence how you live and how you feel about yourself?
Lord, thank You! Thank You for giving me a new name. Thank You for calling me friend, heir, daughter, new creation, and so much more. Thank You for caring for me in such an intimate way. Help me to rest in the names You give me and to release all the other names that have hurt me over the years—the untrue names that I have clung to, instead of my identity in You. Amen.
