BY: MEGAN GILMORE
Isaiah 43:1
"But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel:
'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.'"
Pearl. That is the meaning of my name, Megan. I have never liked that my name means pearl. I wanted something powerful or a name with deeper meaning. However, my parents named me Megan, so pearl it was.
It hasn’t been until the past few years that I have realized how powerful a name can be. Before I was born God had planned for my name to have purpose. When you look at the process it takes for a pearl to be formed and compare that to my life, I see God at work. I can see how He used the irritants and struggles in life to form this beautiful story. My life is a glorious representation of God at work.
A name is important. It identifies who you are. We are given many names over the years. Some names hold more weight in our hearts than others. There is your legal name. The nicknames your family and friends call you. Some of the most powerful names are the ones the enemy has whispered to you. These names identify the lies he has spoken into your life. For many years I struggled with claiming the names of the enemy. Shame and loneliness were my identifiers. When I woke he called me those names. I lived in that place of allowing the names to be mine.
My friends, there is an even more powerful name and that is the one that Jesus calls you by. He has called you and you are His. He called me out of the dark places and into the light. He has called me His beloved and has chosen me. Now, I can stand redeemed and boldly proclaim the names He has given me and so can you.
You are:
His Beloved
His Chosen One
His Daughter
His Redeemed
Questions to ask yourself:
What is the meaning of your name? How is God using that in the plan and purpose of your life? What are the names the enemy is calling you? What is God calling you?
Write down the answers and hold strongly to the name He calls you by.