{Psalm 5:11  "Those who love your name will rejoice in you."}

I was walking to the caf with a friend when I mentioned Cherith. At the sound of Cherith’s name, my friend's  eyes lit up and she said, "I love that girl!" 

There's something special just in hearing the names of people that have profoundly touched my life. There aren’t too many people in this category and it takes a very deep impact for me to feel this way about someone’s name, but I do. 

If I hear Wendy’s name, it always makes me smile. I can’t hear her name without saying something about how beautiful she is.  She doesn't have a face to win Miss Universe (not that I do, either!), but there's a warmth and an “I care” that shines from her eyes that I think of every time I hear her name.
 

David speaks of God’s children as those who “love his name”.  I don’t know if I could say I really loved the sound of his name a few years back...  It used to make me think of all the ways I had let him down and all the things I ought to do better.  But now… it makes me think of someone who cares about me, about a man who has walked my road beside me, has hugged me when I cried and has carried me when I couldn’t stand.  I love his name! To me, it is Wonderful, Counsellor, Abba, Daddy, Friend, Love, Purity, Great Judge, Gentleness and Wisdom. 
 

David prays “that those who love your name might rejoice in you…” This joy is not like a box of candy. It’s not like you open it up and go, look at this, I have this joy! Great stuff! The joy is in a person.   It’s in the one who’s name I love. I find delight, wonder and joy in him.  Because he's so beautiful… and because just being close to him fills me to the bursting with happiness.

Oh Daddy, your name mean so much to me. I have joy, intense brilliant, beautiful joy in you. There is nothing in the whole world like it. It’s so true that… your love is better than life!