September 28, 2017 - Johnny Cash sang a song when I was growing up about a boy named Sue. In the song he told of all the bad things that happened to him because of the name he was given and summed it up with "Life ain't easy for a boy named Sue." However toward the end of the song, he realized that he was given that name to make him strong and tough. So, when he reflected back on his life, he was thankful for the name he was given. He also realized that when he had a son he was going to try and make his life easier by naming him, " Bill or George anything but Sue !" Isn't life a lot like that today. Sometimes we are given nicknames or are named after people, that back in the day were popular names for our parents and grandparents but have completely different meanings and representations today.
These days, people give their children family names, names they just randomly make up, biblical names, there is even a trend to name all your children with names that start with the same first letter, but that was not the case in the old days. Names had a specific meaning and purpose. There was a man in the Old testament whose name so affected him it made him seek God to change how he perceived himself. 1 Chron. 4:9 says," Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers and his mother called his name Jabez "because I bore him in pain." How would you like to go through life with a name that your mother gave you because you were painful to give birth to ? I am convinced that he took some teasing as a kid. I'm also sure that my name would not be repeatable if that were the case with what my mother named me. But Jabez took the name given him and instead of complaining or whining about it, he set out to change how he was perceived because of it. If we look at the first part of the verse it tells us, " Jabez was more honorable than his brothers." Why? We see in the next verse. " Jabez called out to the God of Israel." Jabez took a name that was meant to be a reminder of great pain, and turned it into a name that reminds us of how God will change our lives when we live honorably and put our trust in Him to change our circumstances. He is faithful to do just that.
When we humble ourselves and call out to God he changes our circumstances and our name. Here's what he said; "Oh that you would bless me indeed and enlarge my territories, that your hand would be with me and that you would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain. So God granted Him what he requested." The world may try to give you a name like, poor, oppressed, depressed, ugly, fat, skinny, mean, unworthy, unloved, diseased, or dumb, these are all lies. The devil wins when he can make us believe this about ourselves.
No matter what the world has labeled you as, or what people might think of you, when you call out to God and seek Him He gives you a new name. His names for you are: Honored, Chosen, Blessed, Loved, Liberated, Healed, Holy, Righteous, Royal Priesthood, Saints, Sons, Daughters and Friends. You see, in His eyes you are all these things. He only sees you with the eyes of a loving caring Father who is waiting to here His child call His name. He's waiting. Let God change your life and your name.
