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Neither my wife, Beth, nor I expected a dog as a wedding gift. Yet, the yellow lab, Doberman pinscher, and German shepherd cross pup which was presented to us on the eve of our marriage became a highly prized possession.
However, there was a glitch. We had absolutely no idea what to name this gold-colored canine. During the course of our honeymoon, my parents kept the little (but growing) dog. Despite our periodic debating, we just couldn’t come up with a name we both liked. That is, until we returned to pick up the pup.
My folks, having gone on an errand, were not at home when we arrived. Even so, my mother had left a brief note which simply said, “Tom and Beth, your nameless dog is in the basement.”
We both hurried down the stairs to see how much our little critter had grown. And that’s when it happened. One of us (thankfully neither of us now remembers who!), called out, “Come here, Nameless!” We simultaneously looked at each other. The naming of our nameless dog was settled. It had to be “Nameless.”
Now admittedly, “Nameless” may not be much of a name. Nevertheless, the dog learned it, we liked it, and it was certainly different.
Recently a woman wrote to us saying, “I grew up with an unusual name. That meant no pencils, toothbrushes, mirrors, etc. with my name on them! My name was just too different so they didn’t have anything for me.”
Now, you may have a common name or maybe it’s rather unique. Whatever the case, the Creator knows you. Best of all, He has something for you. This has been the case down through Bible history. For example, the Lord knew Sarah’s name when she laughed in unbelief. He asked her husband Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’” (Genesis 18:13) The Lord then went on to ask, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14) The Lord not only knew her name, but also her lack of faith. Eventually she became the mother of Isaac.
Later on we know that the Lord called Moses by name from a burning bush on an isolated backside of a desert (Exodus 3:4). Surprisingly the Lord did this when it would have seemed that Moses’ life as a leader was all washed up. After all, he was eighty years old! Even so, God had a great work for Moses to accomplish with the last third of his life.
And how about Saul, the persecutor of the church? The Lord Jesus spoke to him by name on the Damascus road (Acts 9). As a result, Saul (whom we also know as Paul) was converted. In time, this same individual ended up writing about half of the New Testament!
Friend, no matter what your name may be, God knows it - and how it’s spelled. If you know Jesus Christ, your name is already recorded “in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27). You’re not nameless and God has a specific calling for your life!
| More than three decades ago (at the ripe-old-age of eleven) Tom C. Rakow poached his first deer with a twenty-two caliber rifle. Unfortunately, this was just the beginning of some very bad hunting habits. Then in 1977, Tom came to know Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior while watching a Billy Graham Crusade on television. Not surprisingly, one of the first things that happened was that Tom’s hunting attitudes and activities began to be transformed. Although Rakow would be the first to admit that God still has a whole lot of work left to do in his life, he’s convinced that a return to biblical principles (which predate aluminum arrows, game wardens, black powder, and the Second Amendment) will serve as a helpful bridge between divergent views held by hunters and non-hunters alike. Dr. Rakow has written for major publications and also authored “Copy Me!” Bible Quizzes, Hunting & the Bible: A Scripture Safari, Raccoon Hunting Basics, Devotions for Dog Lovers, and SELF-INFLICTED HUNTING ARGUMENTS: Biblical Responses to a Loaded Issue in 2003. In addition, Tom is in demand as a speaker for wild game banquets and also hosts a weekly radio broadcast called “First Light.” In 1994, he founded the Christian Deer Hunters Association, a national, non-profit, interdenominational, volunteer ministry to deer hunters. More recently he founded the Christian Anglers Association. Dr. Rakow has studied the Bible in its original languages of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek and regularly researches hunting-related issues as they pertain to a biblical world view approach. He holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin, Moody Bible Institute (IL), Asbury Theological Seminary (KY), and Bethel Theological Seminary (MN). Rakow has been listed in the Dictionary of International Biography - 23rd Edition, and Who’s Who in Religion. Tom and his wife, Beth, and their four daughters reside in Minnesota where he has served as a full-time pastor since 1989. |
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