Scripture:
“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.’
At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, ‘This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them! I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God’.” Genesis 17:1-8 (NLT)
Perspective:
God came to Abram to give him an unexpected gift. He gave Abram a new name. Instead of people calling him Abram, he would now be Abraham. It meant father of many nations. The meaning of names were so significant at that time that literally every time someone greeted him, they were saying hello to a father of many nations. A prophetic word was being spoken over his life every time his name was mentioned. Abram did not have a heir with his wife Sara, but God was giving Abram a tangible reminder in changing his name that God was still at work in his life. God was giving Abram a new identity, and it would empower him to believe God.
In Western cultures, name meanings are not as prominent as in some cultures. Historically, name meanings were actually known by community members, and it was a way of establishing the identity of an individual. There was power in the spoken word to create that identity for a person. In the same way, the way we speak about our lives is creating an identity for our future. God wants you to speak life about your tomorrow because He sees what you cannot see. What do you do if your identity has been sabotaged by where you have been? You need to find what God says about you versus what you are thinking about yourself. God speaks blessing into your future. God will use your past to transform your future by His very Word. Allow God to change you so that your future resonates with His promises for you instead of your past.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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About Hona Amer
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