Isaiah 43:1 NLT
But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.
Beloved,
Who is God to you? And who are you to Him? These two questions are very crucial questions you must ask and answer carefully and honestly. God is always intentional and we must be so in our dealings with Him.
God is SO intentional about the names by which He reveals Himself to us. He is equally as intentional about the names He chooses to give us. God has introduced Himself to us by various names and He has also introduced us to ourselves by the names He calls us. In the Jewish culture and in many other cultures naming a child is considered a big deal. Parents must take the naming of their children seriously as it is a flow from God, our Creator. The first assignment God gave to Adam was to name everything He created. Throughout the Bible, we see the importance of names. When he called Abram into a covenant relationship with Himself, He gave him and his wife new names that reflect their new identity. He gave Jacob a new name to reflect his transformation into that covenant. He made Moses “a god to Pharaoh”.
God is this intentional about names because names confer identity and distinction. God’s names sets God apart from other gods. And His names for us also set us apart as His own. Name indicates ownership and belonging. We take on God’s names for us after we answer His call. This is so we know how to approach Him and know how we must approach life as His children, His sons, kingdom citizens, His Bride, soldiers of Christ, etc.
However, a major problem many believers are facing today is that they have stopped growing. A major reason for this trend of stunted growth is a lack of understanding of who God is and who they are. If the only thing you understand about God is that you’re a child of God, you’ll only position yourself to receive from Him. You will limit God to an eternal Father Christmas. But if you want to be a part of what He is doing on the earth, you’ll need to know how and why he refers to His true children as ambassadors.
I pray for you that you will catch a fresh revelation of God and who He says you are.
I commend you to God and to the word of His grace.
I call you blessed. I call you NATIONS.
