Jonah May 18

But do you know something?  When God speaks to men He speaks in a personal way to them; He speaks familiarly with them.  One old Puritan in the seventeenth century on his death bed uttered these words to those who had come to say good-bye.  He said  :'One thing that I have learnt is that God  deals familiarly with men.'

We are told that the word of the Lord came unto Jonah and it identified him, 'the son of Amittai',  Maybe you are living in a world that does not care about you.  Do you know what it is to walk from this place, go to the Underground, but nobody knows your name?  You can go home and nobody all the way will know your name.  You can  go home and nobody all the way will know your name.  You can go to work and  on the way nobody knows your name.  A large city like London can be the loneliest place in the world.  you feel nameless.  Nobody knows you, much less do they care.  Listen!  God calls you by your name.  He knows who your parents are, He knows your background.  He knows every care you have.

When Isaiah gave the prophecy to Israel the words were 'Fear not, O Israel, I have redeemed thee.  I have called thee by thy name' (Isa.  43: 1).  You see, when God singles you out, He calls you by your name.  It's like that story of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16 : 19ff).  We don't know the name of the rich man but we know the name of the man who went to heaven.  And you will remember when Jesus was resurrected from the dead and the angels had a word to those disciples that came to the empty tomb, the angels said: 'Look, go your way, tell His disciples and Peter' -singling him out by name - 'that He goeth before you into Galilee'  (Mark  16: 7).  'God deals familiarly with men.'