It's Ellie!

 

The other night at work, my friend Ahlam, gave me several birthday presents.  My favorite was a pair of socks with Ellie's face on them.  Ahlam pointed out to me, "It's Ellie!" to emphasize it was actually Ellie on the socks and not just any beagle.  When I go to work tonight I will "wear Ellie" on my feet and I'm sure I will take several opportunities to look down at the image of our sweet little beagle.  

In doing so, I will be reminded of the High Priests of Israel when they entered the Holy Place in the Tabernacle and Temple:

"And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the Holy Place, for a memorial before the Lord continually." (Exodus 28:29.)

Symbolically, the High Priest would carry the children of Israel with him into the Holy Place as a memorial before God.  God did not need to be reminded of the children of Israel, they were continually on His heart.  But their names engraved on the breastplate emphasized how important they were to God.

On the side of our house, protected by the carport, there is a brick that bears the signature of our then 14 year old daughter, Emmie.  When I first noticed this brick years ago, I was mildly irritated that she would have just written her name on the side of the house.  Now I smile every time I see it.  The simple signature is a testament to the wonderful person our daughter has become.  It actually gives me pleasure to see her name there.  

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, our names are also written as a memorial.  They are not on a breastplate, they are in heaven.

"...rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10:20).

Our names are written in heaven!  Not just on the side of a house, but in Heaven! Most specifically they are written in the Lamb's Book of Life as mentioned in the book of Revelation.  Now I have no Scriptural basis for this thought, but I would imagine that only the Lamb can write in the "Lamb's Book of Life."  If this is true, then there was a moment when those nail-scarred hands put our names -- put MY name -- in His book.  What a precious, glorious thought, that perhaps on August 18, 1973 the Lord Jesus put my name in His book.  And if the Lord Jesus does something, no one, no where, no how can undo it!  

Our names will always be in that book, "written in heaven."

"I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever:  

with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations."

Psalm 89:1