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- Take Comfort in Knowing God Knows Your Name
Take Comfort in Knowing God Knows Your Name
Last updated on: July 8, 2026 at 12:00 pm by Lee Ann B. Marino
Take Comfort in Knowing God Knows Your Name 2026-06-06T16:49:40-04:00 Lee Ann B. Marino
Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.
My name is entirely phonetic. It’s spelled the same way it sounds. For some reason, however, nobody seems to get it right. I’ve been called LouAnn, Lindsey, LeAn, Lian, Liam, Leah, and so many other names, I can’t remember them all. Some go as far as to cut off the “Ann” all together and call me Lee. This means there’s a number of vague corporations that have me identified as “Mr. Lee Marino.” I’ve even gone on dates only to find prospective mates spelled my name incorrectly after the fact. It’s obvious the world doesn’t know my name, at least in the sense they should. As a result, I take great comfort in knowing God knows my name.
God knows your name, too. Of the many facets of God, why does this matter?

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
Personal vs. impersonal deities
Perhaps one of the greatest things we take for granted in modern religion is the idea of a personal deity. We love the idea that God knows us and loves us even with our flaws. Some take these beliefs to the extreme, while others like the idea, as difficult as it is for them to fathom. God’s knowledge of us is part of his omniscience, or all-knowing nature. God knows your name because He knows all things, including everything about you. As your Creator, He has intimate knowledge of you that no one else has.
In ancient times, people didn’t have the same relationship with their deities. The ancient world was full of people who sought favor from deities, but didn’t expect them to care about them. Sacrifices and offerings to the gods were not random, but specific and calculated. Everything from specific items to times of day or year and location were thought to make a difference. If the offering – and the vibes – and any other number of conditions were right – favor would result.
Adherents were driven, but yielded inconsistent results. The gods might have been specific to a tribe or people, but these gods didn’t invest any knowledge in them. The deities were scheduled to receive, but returning the favor was often met with inconsistent results. If someone was hurting or had a bad day, their deities didn’t care. There was no intimacy in relationship between the gods and those who served them.
God is greater than other gods
The idols we follow are much like the false gods of old. We spend a great deal of our time pouring effort, money, and energy into things that draw us away from God. The things that often draw us the deepest – and take the most from us – are often things that don’t care much about us. In speaking of idols, Isaiah 44:18-20 tells us much:
Such stupidity and ignorance!
Their eyes are closed, and they cannot see.
Their minds are shut, and they cannot think.
The person who made the idol never stops to reflect,
“Why, it’s just a block of wood!
I burned half of it for heat
and used it to bake my bread and roast my meat.
How can the rest of it be a god?
Should I bow down to worship a piece of wood?”
The poor, deluded fool feeds on ashes.
He trusts something that can’t help him at all.
Yet he cannot bring himself to ask,
“Is this idol that I’m holding in my hand a lie?” (NLT)
To say God knows your name indicates a personal, intimate reality that transcends any idol. Not just accessible for what we can do or offer for Him, God cares more about us as people than He does any sacrifice we can offer. Rather than just being an abstract image that is there to maybe bestow favor if the wind blows right, God is consistently there.
Thankful that God knows your name
It’s easy to feel invisible in this world…especially if you’re chasing an idol. It’s easy to feel overlooked, especially in light of someone or something else. Yet there’s something important in this for us: God knows your name! Nobody else might get it right. People might talk about your name behind your back. People might misspell your name. Regardless, God knows your name! Not only is this a comforting fact, it reminds us that God – the almighty – is sovereign enough to know all, yet kind enough to know us with attention and detail.
No matter who we matter to or don’t matter to in this life, we matter to Him. That means we do matter. It’s not all about what others know, but about what He knows. He calls you and loves you, just as you are. In the hustle of today’s largely impersonal world, you Creator knows exactly who you are.
God’s majestic name heralds in creation
Just as God knows our name, we know Him as our Father, Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. From age to age, God’s incredible nature rings throughout our universe. We recognize His presence throughout our amazing world. Psalm 8:1-9 reminds us:
O Lord, our Lord, Your majestic name fills the earth!
Your glory is higher than the heavens.
You have taught children and infants
to tell of Your strength,
silencing Your enemies
and all who oppose You.
When I look at the night sky and see the work of Your fingers—
the moon and the stars You set in place—
what are mere mortals that You should think about them,
human beings that You should care for them?
Yet You made them only a little lower than God
and crowned them with glory and honor.
You gave them charge of everything You made,
putting all things under their authority—
the flocks and the herds
and all the wild animals,
the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,
and everything that swims the ocean currents.
O Lord, our Lord, Your majestic name fills the earth! (NLT)
How fortunate we are that the God of all creation knows us personally, by name!
General Christian
Relationships and Religion
About Lee Ann B. Marino
Dr. Lee Ann B. Marino, Ph.D., D.Min., D.D. (”The Spitfire”) is “everyone’s favorite theologian” leading Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z as apostle of SAFE Ministries. Her work encompasses study and instruction on leadership training and development, typology, Pneumatology, conceptual theology, Ephesians 4:11 ministry, and apostolic theology. She is author of over thirty-five books, host of the top twenty percentile podcast Kingdom Now, and serves as founder and overseer of Sanctuary International Fellowship Tabernacle - SIFT and Chancellor of Apostolic Covenant Theological Seminary. Dr. Marino has over twenty-five years of experience in ministry, leadership, counseling, mentoring, education, and business. You can read more about the author here.
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