A new name

Wednesday July 7, 2021

A new name

Isaiah 62.2 - A new name will be called for you, which the mouth of the LORD will choose.

Unlike our current customs, the name has always had significant meaning in the Bible. For God, the name reveals identity and He Himself presented Himself as "I am". In New Testament times, the name was often the result of two components: parents chose a first name for their child but it was followed by a "nickname" that society gave in reference to a place, or to an activity, or even a family tie: Saul was Saul of Tarsus, John was the Baptist or Simon was the son of Jonas.

My reflection is : what makes my identity ? As my wife once said, sometimes we get the label : "You are like your mother or like your father." Other times we change our first name out of mockery, from the Claudy style becoming "tramp" when I am not a tramp, even though I esteem them very much ! Do you understand what I'm trying to say ? The "world" will do whatever is possible so that we are not us, so that we adopt the identity that it wants us to have and in order to do so, it will not hesitate to use family and societal pressures.

My beloved, God has chosen a new name for us, an identity that corresponds to his way of seeing us. For Him, we are no longer the "son of" or "the poor sinner", we are his cherished children, adopted by full adoption, having a destiny in accordance with his plans for our life. Saul of Tarsus became Paul, Simon son of Jonas Peter and John the Baptist remained John, God Himself having chosen his first name before his birth.

My beloved, to know who we are, let us turn to our Lord. Let us be persuaded by the meaning of this new name, proclaim his Word on our life and break the straitjacket of identity that the devil has put on us. If you are in Christ, you are a whole person, you are not a clone, you are not what you made, you are what God intended you to be from all eternity.

Good reflection.

Source (Ezekiel 37 Ministries)