And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name.” So He called his name Israel. Genesis 35:10
When a person is born, they are always given a name. Throughout their years, new names are added on. Often, they are specific to certain people. These names can be father, mother, brother, sister, friend, co-worker, buddy, pal, and many more. Women often take on the last name of the husband once married. Some will completely change their names for various reasons of their own choosing.
God tells Jacob that he will no longer be called Jacob, but will now be called Israel.
Having a name identifies who a person is. The basic name just defines who the person is, but other names will often define the person’s role or character. In the place of an actual name, people are given titles to identify their role in whatever organization that they are a part of, whether personal or public.
Most people are concerned with the names that other people give them. They want to be known by a good name rather than something negative. Being known as a thief, murderer, or some other criminal is not the desire of most people.
Without God, people have the names of sinner, convicted, guilty, without life, dying, and more. They are hopeless and without life.
Those who have chosen to believe in and follow Jesus are given new names. Some of those names are chosen, child of God, redeemed, saved, forgiven, accepted, changed, and more. As they grow in the Lord, they add on new names such as merciful, kind, gentle, patient, loving, and more.
Each believer has to choose how they will live to gain a new name from God.
You have various names in which people around you know who you are. While it is important to have others give you names, it is more important as to what God calls you. Allow God to work in your life and change who you are. Gain the names that also describe God as you become more and more like Jesus each day. Gain the names that will last for eternity and be a witness to this world as to who God is and what He is like.
What is your new name in Christ?
Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know what name God has given you; that you will live up to the name God has given you; and that the world will know you be the name God gave you.
Purchase Tom’s New Daily Devotional Here!
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Insights from Tom
