I remember hearing my dad’s voice at tennis meets. For some reason, I could always hear him cheering me on. When he would yell my name, I knew that he was there and he was watching.

In the same way, God has called us by name. He calls us by name, which speaks to His deep love and knowledge of you.

But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. – Isaiah 43:1 (NLT)

So when we go out, when we make decisions each day, we should be mindful that God has called us by name. God knows us and as a result, we should be making decisions and living our lives in ways that bring glory to God.

We’re not accidents, but we’ve been created and called on purpose. Let’s determine to go out and make the world a better place for Jesus today!

Today’s Truth: I’ve been called by God.

Have you ever been afraid of something? Maybe as a little kid, you were afraid of the dark. And that fear kept you from doing certain things. Fear of the dark would keep you from exploring your dark basement, or even from going to bed at night.

Fear can keep us from God too. Perhaps we haven’t experienced His true nature, and so we fear Him and avoid Him. But God tells us in today’s verse to not fear. We don’t have to be afraid of God. He loves us and redeemed us.

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)

When something is redeemed, it’s been bought back. Often it’s for a high price. And that’s what God did for us. He redeemed us. He bought us back. And because of that, we don’t have to walk in fear toward God. God loves us and paid the price for us to know Him in a real and deep way.

So today, think about this verse. Realize that you’re created, formed, and redeemed. That means to God, you’re valuable!

In yesterday’s verse, we saw that God created people. And because people are created, they’re special to God. God loves people and wants to have a relationship with them.

As followers of God, that means that we should treat others with respect because all people are created by God, and as His creations, they are important and special to Him.

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)

Yes, there are going to be people that you don’t agree with. Some people will make you mad and others you just might not understand. Yet even in the midst of the frustration others cause us, all people have value. Not because they do or say the right things, but because God created them with value.

Today’s Truth: We can love others because they were created by God and have value.

Some of the people might not know Jesus yet, and so they’re just downright mean. Others might have accepted Jesus but haven’t let God’s word run their lives. And yet, even if people don’t treat us right, annoy us, or simply think so differently than us, as Christians, we are called to love them.

We might never agree with them. We might never think the same as they do, but we can still treat them with dignity and respect. Why? Because to God, they were created and formed by Him.

When I took art classes at school, I loved to draw with colored pencils. I enjoyed shading my drawings and had fun transferring the ideas in my head onto paper. For one of my best drawings, I spent several weeks tweaking to get the right shading and coloring. Because I spent so much time making the drawing, I knew all about it. I knew every part of it, and each pencil I used to shade the drawing. As the person who created the drawing, I knew it in a way that no one else could.

We see God speaking about something similar in today’s verse.

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)

God is the one who formed and created everything. Even you. So that means that He knows you in a way that no one else can. He created you and He formed you. He knows everything about you, and He loves you.

Today’s Truth: Because God Created People, They Have Value to Him.

So on those days when your emotions tell you that you’re not special. Or when thoughts come to you that cause you to not value yourself, remember that God spent time creating you. He formed you and loves you.

And not only does He love you, but He loves every other person He created too. So when you begin to want to yell at someone or treat them badly, remember that they too are special to God. He loves each of them deeply too.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” – Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

Isn’t it crazy how busy we are? As students, we are constantly running from one thing to the next. Rush to get to class. We rush to get to practice. There is so much rushing, that often, we forget to simply be still and listen for God to speak.

The thing about God is that He’s not going to force you to stop and listen to Him. He does want to speak to you, but He’s not going to force you to make that happen. There’s never going to be a completely perfect time to hear from God.

That means you’ve got to be intentional about getting still to hear from God.

God wants to speak to you. He wants to help you make good decisions, to show you how much He loves you, and to be a part of your life. However, He’s not going to force His way into your life. Instead, you’ve got to choose to let Him in.

The amount you hear from God is up to you. God wants to speak to you all the time!

Today’s Challenge: Be Still

Challenge yourself today to be still. Find a moment where you can sit and listen to God. Let God speak into your life. God wants to speak to you, it’s just up to you to get still so you can hear Him.

 Inspire your heart and grow in your walk with God! It’s easy when you download Every Teenager’s Guide to Growing in God.