The Name Game

"....You will be called by a new name that the Lord's mouth will anounce."

Isaiah 62:2

In this chapter of Isaiah, God tells the nation of Israel that they're going to have a new name. This name-changing thing was something He liked to do. Abram became Abraham, Sarai became Sarah--even in the New Testament Saul became Paul and Simon became Peter. In Isaiah 62:4, Israel was going to go from "Deserted and Desolate" to "My Delight and Married." In verse 12, they would become "The Holy People, The Lord's Redeemed, Cared For, a City Not Deserted." They were going to go from something sad to something special and loved and valued. When we enter into relationship with God, He has a new name for us too. I think that name is Beloved. Cherised. Treasured.

Names are so important in the Bible. Proverbs 22:1 says "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches...". When I first read that, of course I was excited to look up the meaning of my name and see how great and wonderful my name had always been, especially since it came out of the Bible. I was mighty disappointed to discover that Leah in Hebrew is thought to mean "weary" or possibly "wild cow." Neither of these definitions are very flattering. My Mom told me the story of how she named me. I was already born, and I didn't have a name for a half a day, or maybe an entire day. She was flipping through the Bible later on, and read, "Leah was fair of face." So she says. Unfortunately, she must have still been under the influence of pain medicine after giving birth to me, because the Bible I am familiar doesn't say that. Her sister Rachel was fair of face; Leah wasn't even the one Jacob was in love with! The only thing she really had going for her were her "tender eyes," but even they were "clouded!" Maybe Mom just didn't like the name Rachel as much but didn't want to tell me that Leah was the uglier one.

I do like my name, and think it sounds pretty, even though people mis-pronounce it, misspell it, or confuse it with some other name that starts with L (Lola is my favorite one so far). I'm happy to know, however, that God has given me a name that doesn't mean tired cow.

Whatever name you were born with, you are not bound to it and all its baggage. You were made by God, and he calls you Beloved. Furthermore, the emotional baggage you carry doesn't bind you either because He can carry your load. He can handle it, and He loves you, whatever your name is or used to be...even if it's an unpronounceable symbol or has a dollar sign in it.

What does your name mean? What name does God know you by?