When God Calls Us By Name
- fccreative
- 3 days ago
- 10 min read
Updated: 15 hours ago
Trusting the Process and Embracing Your Divine Assignment
Christmas is not a charming tale—it is news. God stepped into our story, wrapped Himself in flesh, and moved into our neighborhood. The incarnation is the hinge on which the resurrection swings: no empty tomb without a filled manger. The angel’s announcement to Mary pulls back the curtain on how God works with us still: He calls us by name, speaks purpose into ordinary places, and invites us into assignments that require trust more than details.
When God calls a name, He reveals intimacy and intention. The One who numbers the stars knows every hair on our heads. He does not sift through files to remember us; He authored our days before one of them came to be. That means we are not accidents to be managed but assignments to be stewarded. And He calls us despite us—fully aware of our denials, doubts, and detours—choosing us with eyes wide open to transform our story and display His grace.
What feels like an interruption is often an invitation. Mary’s plans were disrupted; Jairus’ timetable was delayed; Saul’s agenda was wrecked by a blinding light. Yet in each disruption, God was sowing seeds for a harvest they could not have produced on their own. The question is not whether our plans will be disturbed, but whether we will discern the invitation inside the disturbance.
Honor, not hesitation, is the posture that carries a calling to term. “Let it be to me according to Your word” is more than a moment; it is a sustained surrender when whispers persist, doors seem shut, and routes detour. Fame is optional; fruit is essential. God does not call us to be noticed but to be fruitful—carrying Christ into every space, shining in good works so the Father is glorified. Visibility may come, but it is never the aim.
Finally, God shapes long before He shows. Mary’s birthplace, family lines, purity, and even her engagement were providential preparations for a purpose revealed at the right time. The same is true for us: our pains, placements, and personalities are being repurposed by God for kingdom assignment. Often the journey begins with small yeses—humble obediences that stretch our trust—until we discover that those yeses were the runway for the larger call we’ve prayed for.
Key Takeaways
1. God knows you by name
He is not guessing at your identity or outsourcing your file to an angel. The One who numbers the stars knows your story down to the thoughts you haven’t spoken. That means your life isn’t accidental; it’s authored. His call carries both intimacy and intention.
2. Interruptions are divine invitations
What feels like a derailment is often heaven opening a door. Mary’s “interruption” was God stepping into her timeline; Jairus’ delay became a seedbed for resurrection faith. If you walk by the Spirit, you’ll recognize the invitation inside the inconvenience.
3. Honor sustains your holy yes
A holy moment can spark a yes; only honor can carry it. Honor says “your plan over my preference” when the whispers rise and the road bends. It transforms detours into design—like a stable becoming the perfect birthplace for the Lamb.
4. Seek fruit, not fame
Fame may follow fruit, but it can never replace it. Fruit looks like carrying Christ into your world—loving when it’s costly, giving when it hurts, serving when unseen. At the end, you won’t stand on your platform; you’ll stand in your fruit.
5. Shaped long before you’re shown
God was aligning Mary’s place, people, prophecy, and partner long before Gabriel arrived. Your past isn’t wasted; it’s woven. The pain that humbled you may be the compassion that equips you. Trust the preparation you can’t yet see.
Bible Study Guide
Bible Reading
Luke 1:26–38 ...26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Observation Questions
What specific words and titles does Gabriel use to describe Mary and the child he announces (look at vv. 28, 31–33)? What do those words reveal about God’s intent and the scale of the assignment?
Which responses and emotions appear in Mary’s reaction (vv. 29, 34, 38)? How do fear, questions, and surrender show up together in this scene?
The claim is made that “the God who numbers and names every star knows your name” — how does Luke 1:26–38 support the idea that God calls people personally and intentionally?
Mary answers, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” What immediate signs in the passage (or in the story of Elizabeth in vv. 36–37) show a validating or confirming response to that surrender?
Interpretation Questions
What does it mean theologically that God’s calling combines intimacy (“he knows your name”) and assignment (He sends people into specific roles)? How should those two realities shape one’s sense of identity and purpose?
In the examples that follow the Luke text (Jairus, the woman who touched Jesus, Saul on the road), how does an apparent interruption turn into an invitation? What pattern of divine action do those stories reveal about timing, obstacles, and opportunity?
What is the difference between a momentary “yes” and sustained obedience described as honor? How does the phrase “let it be to me according to your word” model perseverance when the cost or the details remain unknown?
How should the idea “shaped long before you’re shown” change expectations about seasons of waiting, pain, or seeming insignificance? How might past struggles or small preparations be reinterpreted as part of God’s training?
Application Questions
Think of a recent plan or timeline that was interrupted. How might that interruption be an invitation to sow a seed that will later produce a needed testimony or harvest? Be concrete about one interruption and one small step of obedience you could take this week.
Where do you most need to believe that God knows you intimately (your fears, failures, or reputation)? Name one specific fear that makes you hesitate when God calls, and one practical way you can remind yourself of God’s knowledge of and love for you.
Identify one area where you are tempted to choose visibility or approval over producing spiritual fruit. What is one concrete change you will make this month to prioritize fruit (for example: a new habit of serving, a regular accountability conversation, or a sacrificial gift)?
What small “yes” can you offer now that could be the start of a larger assignment later (help with a ministry once a month, invite one person to church, begin a short Bible reading plan)? Pick one action and commit to the first step and the date you will do it.
Where has hesitation kept a prior “yes” from being lived out fully (relationships you should restore, forgiveness not given, service avoided)? Name one practical way to practice sustained honor in that area this week.
Who can you ask to speak truth into your life so you won’t confuse interruption with failure? Name a person you will invite to pray with or check in with you about a calling or next step within the next seven days.
Devotional
Day 1: God calls ordinary people into extraordinary purpose.
Mary's encounter in Nazareth shows that the God who names stars also calls ordinary people by name and invites them into His redemptive work. What looks like an interruption to a private life is often God stepping into a story to shift a destiny; responding with surrender opens the door for that change. Trusting God's call means choosing His purpose over personal plans and saying, "let it be to me according to your word."
Luke 1:26-38 (ESV) 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." 34 And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" 35 And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God." 38 And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
Reflection: What is one specific plan or "Jerusalem dream" you are protecting from God's interruption, and what would surrendering that plan look like this week in practical actions?
Day 2: God’s Interruptions Are Divine Invitations
What may feel like an interruption in your plans is often God’s invitation into His greater purpose for your life. Mary’s life was dramatically interrupted by God’s call, but what seemed inconvenient was actually the moment God stepped into her story. God’s invitations may disrupt your comfort or plans, but they are always opportunities to step into His miracles, redemptive plan, and destiny for you. Instead of resisting, consider how God might be inviting you to trust Him more deeply through what feels like an interruption.
Luke 1:26-38 (ESV) In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Reflection: Where in your life do you sense God’s “interruption,” and how might it actually be His invitation to something greater?
Day 3: Responding to God’s Call with Honor, Not Hesitation
When God calls your name, the right response is honor, not hesitation. Mary’s “let it be to me according to your word” was not just a momentary yes, but a posture of sustained honor and surrender, even when the cost was high and the path was unclear. True honor means trusting God’s plan over your own preferences, following through on your yes even when it’s difficult, and magnifying the One who knows everything rather than focusing on the unknown. God is looking for hearts that say yes and live out that yes with honor, no matter the circumstances.
Psalm 139:13-16 (ESV) For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
Day 4: Chosen For Fruit, Not For Fame
He has not called you to be famous but to be fruitful. When you carry Christ into the world, fruit shows up as love that costs, forgiveness that hurts, generosity that stretches, and service that no one sees. Fruit may lead to visibility, but any spotlight belongs to Jesus alone. God’s question is not “How many follow you?” but “Got fruit?” Let your light shine so that people see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
John 15:5,8 — Jesus teaches that He is the vine and we are the branches; separated from Him we can do nothing, but abiding in Him we bear much fruit. In this the Father is honored: that our lives produce lasting fruit as true disciples.
Reflection: Which specific Christlike fruit is God inviting you to cultivate right now, and what is one concrete practice you will adopt this week to nurture it?
Day 5: Shaped Long Before The Assignment Shows
God was preparing Mary long before she knew the assignment—right place, right people, right prophecy, right partner. Nazareth looked insignificant, but prophecy had placed a pin in that map; her upbringing formed a heart ready to say yes; Joseph’s strength covered her calling. Your story is not wasted—God repurposes even pain into preparation. The small yeses today often open the door to larger assignments tomorrow. Trust the slow, sovereign shaping of God in your life.
Isaiah 11:1 — From Jesse’s seemingly cut-down line, a new shoot will sprout; a living branch will rise from old roots, signaling God’s chosen King emerging from an unlikely place.
Reflection: Looking back on a chapter that felt random or painful, how might God have used it to shape you, and what is one small yes you sense Him asking for today?
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