For All The Saints

Categories: Devotional,Isaiah,Luke,Philippians,Revelation

All Saints Day is November 1. This is when the church especially remembers and honors the names of saints who have come before us, names known and unknown.

We do this, in part, because Jesus tells us that all his followers should rejoice because their names are “written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). So, each of us should greatly rejoice that our own name is written there, and rejoice in all the names written next to ours.

The Bible is, at one level, a book packed with names. Herbert Lockyer has taken the time to count them in his books, All the Men of the Bible and All the Women of the Bible. By his counting, the Bible calls out by name 1,369 men, women, and children. Not all these name names are of godly people. A murderess king named Herod, a traitor named Judas, a corrupt prophet named Balaam, and others are named in the Bible. All in all, the Bible is a rather small book of names but there is another book, a huge one filled with only godly names. Jesus tells us the name of this weighty book is The Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev. 21:27). In it is written the name of every person who has been granted, or will be granted, eternal life (e.g., Phil. 4:3). When we picture that book we can see how each saint is precious to God.

All Saints Day can also remind us of another picture. The prophet Isaiah, speaking for God, tells the people that God engraves each of their names on the palms of his hands (Isa. 49:16).

So, if you belong to God he will never forget you, he will always remember your name. That, dear saint, will come in handy when All Saints Day becomes Resurrection Day.

Author: Toby Larson

Toby Larson leads Celebration International. He is a husband and father of 5. Whether he's teaching, hitting tennis balls, sailing a Hobie, serving in Asia, skiing on water or snow, Toby is passionate about the love of God and the love of life. Read more ...