Sunday, July 19, 2026

Known by Name

When earthly identities are shaken, we find our unshakable true north in the God who knew us before birth and calls us His own.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV)

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.

Ephesians 1:4-5 (NIV)

But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: 'Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.'

Isaiah 43:1 (NIV)

My heart aches for the two families in North Dakota who recently discovered their sons were switched at birth nearly forty years ago. Imagine the ground giving way beneath your feet—the story of your life, the face you thought was your own kin, the very name you answer to, all thrown into question by a simple DNA test. One mother spoke of feeling “robbed” of the life she should have had with her biological son. It is a profound and disorienting loss, a confusion of identity that is almost impossible for most of us to fathom.

In moments like these, when human systems fail so catastrophically, we are reminded of a knowledge that is higher and truer than any hospital bracelet or birth certificate. Let us turn to the gentle assurance of the psalmist, who wrote, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Before any mistake could be made, before any name was assigned, our Creator knew us. He was the one who intricately formed us. Our true identity was sealed in His mind long before we took our first breath. There is no confusion with Him. He has never mistaken you for another.

This truth points us to an even deeper reality of our belonging. While these families grapple with the meaning of biological ties and the bonds of love formed over a lifetime, Scripture tells us of an even more foundational adoption. Paul writes in Ephesians, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world… In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ.” Your ultimate identity, the one that can never be shaken or switched or lost, is your place as a chosen and beloved child of God. This spiritual lineage is not subject to human error. It was established in love, by the perfect will of our Heavenly Father, before the world began.

Perhaps you, too, feel a sense of being lost or out of place today. Maybe it’s not from a dramatic discovery, but from a quiet drift, a family wound, a personal failure, or a world that feels increasingly unstable. Your heart may be asking, “Who am I? Where do I truly belong?” To you, and to these families in North Dakota, and to all who feel their identity is fragile, God speaks a word of profound comfort. He says, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” He knows your name—your true name. He claims you. In the midst of all the messiness and pain, this is the anchor for our souls. You are known, you are loved, and you are His.