What do we look to for our identity, for our purpose, for our name?

Do we look to our past, to others, to our own view on our situation…or to God?

John 1:42 stopped me recently and sent me on quite a search through Scripture.

Andrew brought his brother, Simon, to Jesus. Jesus looked at Simon and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas.”

The thought gripped me of Jesus renaming someone.

I questioned what other times in Scripture someone got renamed.

I discovered:

God renamed 4 people:
– Abram – Abraham
– Sarai – Sarah
– Jacob – Israel
– Simon – Cephas (which is Peter in Greek)
In all four situations, the new name given by God revealed a shift in that person’s life. A new Kingdom purpose and a divine destiny.

Some people were renamed by other people
(Example: Daniel, Shadrach; Meshach; and Abednego.)

Ruth’s mother-in-law was renamed by herself (from a name that meant “pleasant/delightful”, to one that meant “bitter.”)

Jerusalem, God’s Holy city, takes on a new name.

Those who overcome are told to expect a new name in heaven, one which will be everlasting and given by the mouth of the Lord
(Isaiah 56:5, 62:2, 65:15, Rev. 2:17).

And it seems even Jesus will get a new name, one that will be written on us who overcome
(Rev. 3:12).

May we throw off all false names – given by others, our past, or even ourselves – and may we see the new thing God wants to do in us, taking on this divine purpose, this new name.

Let’s look forward to that great day when we get to see it all fulfilled, when He says, “It is done!” The curse is removed, we see His face, and bear His new name.