Has God Given You a New Name?

January 16, 2022

Has God Given You a New Name?

By Brooke Holt

“For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch. The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give.” – Isaiah 62:1-2

During each of my three pregnancies, I loved the process of choosing a name for our children. For some reason, I have always loved names. There was such joy in dreaming about the child being knit together inside of me. What would he or she become, and what name would be fitting to their unique personalities? Through prayer and a lot of conversation, my husband and I went to the hospital ready to deliver and to assign a name for each one of our children.

Even more than us, the Lord loves to name his children. The difference is that I did not see my child in the womb apart from ultrasounds; I did not know if the child was a boy or girl (a mystery I chose). I did not know the calling on his or her life, his personality, her gifting. I did not know, nor did I want to know the adversity that would shape my children nor the faith they would develop. But God, their perfect heavenly Father, knows the whole story, and in knowing, he has a redemptive name for every one of his children.

Now before we get to that name, think of the many names you have been called throughout your life: unworthy, dumb, ugly, incapable, slow, fast, trustworthy, incompetent, _______. All of us have been labelled or named as a result of our mistakes and accomplishments. Some of those words built us up, and some tore us down. In this passage, I believe the Lord is inviting you to bring all those names, all those hurtful and even helpful words to him. Then, to allow the one who knows you completely—who has seen every moment of every day of your life, who knows the plans that he has for you—to allow him to speak a new name over you.

God sees your worth—the fullness of your beauty, as well as who he made you to be. Past words and hurt hinder you from seeing your true self. God wants to change that for you today. Will you sit with him? Will you listen as he speaks your new name: son or daughter, beloved, redeemed, chosen, holy, precious to him? Beyond these words is your true name. If you truly attune your heart to him, I believe he will speak that name to you. It may not be today or tomorrow, but stay in it with him. Stay curious and open. Keep asking him to call you by the new name and then ask him to guide you into living into your true identity.

You may have been broken, damaged, hurt, betrayed, found lacking. You are now the child of God, chosen, made whole and holy through the blood of Jesus. You are now the redeemed bride of Christ. Enjoy your new name and the abundant life that goes with it!

Reflection:
Get quiet before the Lord today. Ask him to remind you of the hurtful names you have been called, the hurtful words you have heard throughout the years. Bring all those to him and be honest about the pain of these words. Then leave those words at the foot of the cross and ask the Lord to give you a new name from his mouth, your true name. Stay in this prayer or come back to it. If you need help in hearing from God, reach out to a mentor, a pastor, or someone who can help you in this process. We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Related Resource:

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