December 18

A New Name!

Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men, and you have prevailed.” — Gen 32:28 BSB

The one who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will never again leave it. Upon him I will write the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from My God), and My new name. — Rev 3:12 BSB

In the Bible, a name often represents nature. In those ancient times, names were not chosen for their pleasant sound but to reveal some aspect of character. Shepherds are said to name their sheep by their defects, and some Old Testament names seem to follow this same principle. It was true for Jacob. When the angel asked him, “What is your name?” he answered, “Jacob,” meaning “supplanter.” Never hesitate to call yourself by your true name when dealing with God—whether it be the least of saints, the chief of sinners, or the deceiver and cheat!

The first step toward losing our old nature is to admit that we have it. The next is to yield to God. Let yourself be conquered by Him; surrender to His will, especially in the area where His Spirit presses you most. Life is full of encounters with the wrestling Angel, but too often we resist instead of yielding to His hand. Every time we let God have His way in a new area of our lives, we are given a new name, a new character. Each time, a new aspect of His divine love passes into our being, transforming us more into His likeness, whose Name is above every name. Jacob becomes Israel; Simon becomes Peter, the Rock; Saul becomes Paul, the Apostle.

When God gives us a new name, He also reveals a new name for Himself. This means He gives us a deeper understanding of His nature. As we overcome sin, He reveals attributes of His character that were previously hidden. The Apostle John tells us in Revelation that every time we overcome, God gives us a white stone with a new name written on it, referring to the white diamond of the Urim and Thummim that Israel used to seek God’s will (Exodus 28:29-30; Revelation 2:17). Each person who conquers sin has their own stone, knows God’s will firsthand, and experiences revelations of God’s character that only they can understand (Matthew 11:25).

Prayer

Give us, O God, the white stone with the new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it. Reveal Yourself to us as You do not reveal Yourself to the world. Amen.