To say that there is no other name by which we can be saved seems very exclusive. What about the many good and holy people who are not Christians? And what about Christians who are not so good and holy? In the time of Jesus, a person's name revealed their nature - who and what one was. 'Jesus' means 'God saves' - so Jesus himself is the compassionate mercy of God who desires all to be saved. Jesus himself is love incarnate, so it is through love - of God and others - that we are saved. That opens the door considerably wider!

Sometimes we work so hard trying to accomplish something but without success. This can apply to secular things but also to our own spiritual life. It is easy to become discouraged and disillusioned. The real temptation soon follows: to quit. The disciples had been fishing all night long but had come away empty-handed. But Jesus appeared to them on the shore and urged them to try once more but this time to put down their nets where he directed them. Jesus himself would be one of the crewmen on the boat! Their catch was enormous. When we do things God's way and through God's guidance, we stand a greater chance of being successful beyond our wildest imagination. Perhaps we can look at our sources of discouragement and try again - this time with the Lord leading the way.