What is in a Name?

As so many of you are, with the Covid-19 pandemic upon us and around us, I have been at home…a lot.  This has afforded me time to get serious about being in the Word of God, both through Bible reading and listening to or reading great preaching and devotions by excellent Bible teachers.  God has had my attention.  My life has ground to a halt; from full on busy to ‘oh, I have time to clean out that closet’ kind of halt.  I think God has been chuckling a little because now that I no longer have the background ‘noise of life’, He has been having fun dropping ‘gems’ into my Spirit. 

He has been talking to me about the word ‘Name’.   He has been chatting with me about it over the last few years, but now the emphasis He has given has amped up, so I am Listening more attentively. 

I will give credit to the teachers whom God has used in this endeavor: Kenneth Copeland, Staci Eldredge and Jennifer Dukes Lee. 

These Scriptures particularly popped out for me:

John 17:11 And [now] I am no more in the world but these are [still] in the world and I am coming to You.  Holy Father, keep in Your Name [ in the knowledge of Yourself] those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We [are one].

Ephesians 3:14-15 For this reason, [seeing the greatness of this plan by which you are built together in Christ], I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  15 For Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named [that Father from Whom all fatherhood takes it title and derives its name.]

The emphasis of the teaching was that  we are all in Covenant with the Father and we’re named after Him…we are family!

The next teaching talked about the events that happened when Mary went to Jesus’ tomb after his death and found it empty.  She was quite distraught and encountered a man whom she assumed was the gardener.  In John 20:15 He said to her, “Woman, why are you so upset?”  She did not recognize Him at all.  Then in vs. 16 He said, “Mary.”  She turned and instantly recognized Him.  All He said, was her name.

When He spoke to her in the common place generic reference as ‘woman’, nothing was stirred in her spirit to Know Who it is was, but when He spoke her name, “Mary,” the recognition was instantaneous.  Something sparked within her.  It was personal and it was rooted in a deep relationship of Trust.  She knew that she knew it was Jesus; it was Him.   That Trust made her feel Safe in His Presence.  In that moment, she called Him, Master and fell to her knees and Worshipped Him.  It was after He Spoke her name that she recognized His Voice and Him.

The final of the three teachings brought to recollection John 10:1-5  I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, he who does not enter by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way (elsewhere, from some other quarter) is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The watchman opens the door for this man, and the sheep listen to his voice and heed it; and he calls his own sheep by name and brings (leads) them out. 4 When he has brought his own sheep outside, he walks on before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.  5 They will never [on any account] follow a stranger but will run away from him because they do not know the voice of strangers or recognize their call.   

Here, once again we see mention of being called by name.  The sheep (us) know his voice as He calls them by name, and, we also  Know the Voice of the Lord.  It is distinctive and recognizable even in the midst of chaos and the intrusion of a thief…or Covid-19.

All three teachings were about ‘name,’ but approached it from different angles.  The first talks about the Name of the Father (and so therefore the Son).  We are Named after them in the family of God.  It is our true identity, hidden in Him.  We are Family and we are Named after Him.

The second one, tells us that when Jesus says our name, we recognize Him, no matter the circumstances or how He appears.  We Know it is Him.  Something stirs within us.  Family has called our name.  Like when you were a child and your mother called your name, you knew it was her voice and you knew she knew you and cared for you and you listened.

Just as the third example illustrated, Jesus is our Shepherd and we Know His Voice among all others and it is Him Whom we are Trusting to follow.  We ‘just know’ it is Him because we are part of His family. 

My Prayer is that you come to allow Jesus to call your name, to recognize Him and Follow Him to safety in these troubled times.  It excites me when I hear Him call my name, no matter how softly.

As an aside, I will tell you a secret.  As a child I hated it when a new teacher would call me Judith.  I was commonly called Judy by those who knew me.  I felt Judith was formal and stuffy and stern.  I have since come to know the true meaning of my name, Judith: ‘woman of Judah’ and Judah means ‘Praise’.  So the deeper meaning of my name is “Woman of Praise,” a high Calling to be sure.  I am now, bit by bit, accepting my true name as I get older and, in that acceptance, has been the yielding to my Calling as a Woman of Praise, with the family Name of God. 

So, what name do you go by?  Whose Name/name do you recognize and Who/who do you follow? 

Contact me should you want to know more about coming into the Family, bearing His Name.  God truly Loves you beyond what you could ever imagine and He welcomes you with open arms no matter what.
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Shalom.  Peace.  Wholeness.