Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.  Isaiah 43:7

Oftentimes, the meaning of someone’s name holds great spiritual meaning.  It’s something we can grow into.  I believe God often handpicks names, especially if parents were prayerful.  Names so often seem to fit the child.

When Eve gave birth to her second child, he was named Abel. The meaning of his name suited his destiny. ‘Abel’ means ‘breath or vapor.’ As his life story unfolds, his life is brief, just a vapor. He is to be the first martyr for the Christian faith and will be remembered in the great hall of faith chapter in Hebrews.       

In a loving and stable home, a girl named ‘Joy’ will be a bubbly child, full of sunshine. A boy whose name means ‘man of faith’ will grow up to have spiritual grit.  He will go on to overcome daunting challenges. But if the home is a wasteland, filled with pain and destruction, Satan will ensure that the child grows up believing the exact opposite of his name. The girl named ‘Joy’ will be overtaken by depression. The boy whose name means ‘full of faith’ will face affliction that causes him to live in fear.

Can God change our story, our nature, and our name? Consider Naomi. Her name meant ‘pleasant and agreeable,’ and for a while, she probably was. Then her husband uprooted her and their two sons and moved them to Moab. Afterward, Naomi watched all three of them die. Her story took on bitter overtones, so much so that she renamed herself Mara, which means bitter. That wasn’t the end, however. God redeemed her name as well as her story. He used a Moabite woman, from a godless nation, to reanimate her mother-in-law. Ruth made one brave decision after another and, after marrying Boaz, filled both their futures with joyful laughter.

God is a God of new names. He gives a new identity to anyone willing to follow Him to the land of blessing. It’s not an easy journey, as it involves a complete shift in mindset. But great significance will come to those who believe that God will do it for them.

God, You can re-write the plot of anyone’s story at any time.  Anything tragic associated with my name can be transformed into something with holy meaning, filling my heart with joyful singing.  Amen