What's In a Name?

What’s in a name?

There is not a lot of information about my Warren family ancestors. While I was searching recently I discovered that my grandfather and his father in law both had the same first and middle names. Benjamin Franklin Warren married Benjamin Franklin Reagor’s daughter. As I looked around on that genealogy site I noticed there were multiple Benjamin Franklins as well as George Washingtons. It appears that many people liked using the names of founding fathers for their children.  Those names seemed to carry much clout. One of my hubby’s childhood buddies is G. W. and you guessed it – he’s named after our first president.

There are countless books and websites on the meanings of names. There is even a website on the etymology and history of first names. Names mean a lot to us and family names are carried down throughout the history of families. My own son’s middle name is Warren. Since I was the last Warren in my family line, I wanted that name to be carried on beyond me. When we got married, I took on Danny’s family name. I’ve been a Beene for nearly 40 years. I cannot imagine now being anything but a Beene. It’s part of my nature and identity to be in the Beene family. After all these years I would not go back to being a Warren. I am a Beene.

Just as we can do a genealogy study on family names, we can also do a study on the name of Jesus. We can look into the perfect law of liberty and see everything we need to know about the Savior of the World.  We can find out His background, His nature, His identity. We also can see what clout His name carries for us who believe. If all our needs are met in Him and the Word tells us they are, then we need to know everything we can about our Savior.

Have you been struggling with your identity? Do you know, are you intimately acquainted with the One Who gave you new birth? Do  you understand that you have a new name in glory and that you are no ordinary person, but rather you are a child, a joint heir, with the King of the Universe? You may have been struggling with your past, your sorrows, your troubles or the future of your world, but when you look into the Name of the Lord, you will find that everything you need for life and godliness is found there. Your true identity is found in Him. While another may have written you off, cursed your name, driven you away, God has pronounced you His child, His heir, His recipient of great riches and honor and more.

Oh beloved, run to God’s genealogy book, the Word of God and learn all about the Lord! Find all the mercy for your past, all the power for your present and all the promise for your future! God says to you this morning that you belong to Him. He has given you His name so that whenever you need to call upon His name you will be safe, you will find power and you will be able to stand. His name is your safety, His name is your strength, His name is your focus and as you focus more and more on Him and less and less on your circumstances, pain or problems – you will find that you are more than a conqueror, you are always victorious and you will be full of His joy, His peace and His nature.

Your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has given you His name to call upon because He loves you and He’s for you and that’s more than wonderful, more than enough and more riches than you can ever contain!

I Corinthians 16:11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe.

Psalm 20:7 Some boast in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God.

Colossians 3:17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Isaiah 50:10 Who is among you that fears the LORD, That obeys the voice of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.