NAMES

Naming a child is probably the parents' first real joy after experiencing the birth. They want a name that seems to match the child's personality, as well as their hopes and dreams for who the child will become. Each time they call the name in the years to come, they will be reminded of their hopes, dreams and expectations for the child, while subtly laying the foundation for his or her future. The child is likely to live up to the name and to the expectations that accompany it, and his or her life becomes a manifestation of those expectations. Essentially, they eventually embody the name.

When God gives someone a new name, the reasons are very different. He looks to see who you are, and gives you a name that matches the present you. When God gave me the name Rebekah Isaac, it was because he saw that I had the fortitude, resilience, and commitment to truth of both Isaac and Rebekah combined. He saw that I had embodied the names even before he had given them to me (see Genesis 24; Genesis 22). He saw in me a reaching toward the stars that was relentless.

Each person who serves in the millennial Kingdom of God will be given a new name. It will be a name that befits who you are, and most importantly, it will be a name that you love. You will want your name to encircle and embrace the earth many times over. You will want it to bathe the earth with kindness and compassion. You will want it to say to every person who hears it, "God loves you with an undying love."