More From Colin Harbach

Where I live, the fields are filled with young lambs this time of year. While playing, a lamb will often get separated from its mother, until it hears her call. It's as though the mother is calling her lamb by name. While observing the lambs in the field, I am always amazed by how a local shepherd can tell the difference between each ewe in his flock and often knows which lambs belong to which mothers. Seeing how well a shepherd knows his flock helps me understand God's knowledge of me.

I live a relatively quiet life these days, which means I rarely find myself in a large crowd of people. However, I do occasionally visit a densely populated shopping mall. The experience is always a challenge, simply because I am overwhelmed by thinking about how many people live on our planet and God sees me in such a vast multitude!

When I get to thinking about this, I have to change my focus. If God sees and knows me, that means God knows everyone else by name as well. That knowledge changes the way I think about some things... For instance, I begin to think about prayer not just as me praying for others and them praying for me, but as us praying together.

If God knows everyone, then that also changes the way I see my neighbors. Even though my neighbors may not all be aware of it, they are all God's children. In the parable of the good shepherd, we see that just as the shepherd knew the one lost sheep, and may even have called her by name, God knows the names of everyone, even those leave the safety of the fold.

When I ponder these things, a more wonderful picture comes to mind — the day of our Lord's final coming. Many years ago, I was shown a copy of a painting called King of Kings by the English artist Charles Butler. Unfortunately, the actual work was destroyed during World War II. The painting depicted Jesus standing in front of a huge cross, behind which the defeated Satan cowers. In the foreground, a vast multitude surround them, all wearing crowns. There are so many people that they disappear into the distance. Some people ask why the crowned people should be at the front, but what appeals to me about their placement in the painting is the general sense of glory at the thought of the whole world at Jesus' feet. When I see the painting I wonder, Where will I be on that day?  But ultimately, that will not matter. All that will matter is that Christ will know I am there and he will know my name.