Mine, Mine, Mine

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine."
Isaiah 43:1 NKJV

The question seemed to leap off the page during my quiet time. "If you were to ask God to change your name, what would you want your name to be, or to mean?" Wow. Now there was a question to ponder. In some ways I had been pondering it for years.

When I was a little girl, my friends and I would play. Part of the fun was in choosing new names that we liked better than the ones we had. None of my childhood friends felt that their parents had given them appropriate first names—myself included. Worse yet were the "unmentionables," those, of course, being our middle names. Heaven forbid we even allow them to surface in a conversation, which, by the way, is something I still struggle with to this day.

Because we were just children, having some fun, we never gave any consideration to the fact that our names might actually have some sort of special meaning, or that our parents might have had a purpose behind them when they had chosen them for us. Spelling, sound, and personal preference were what was important to us at the time—and we sure did come up with some interesting new names with all imaginations combined.

All of us have since gone our separate ways and in each of our lives much has changed, but our names remain the same. In time, I found that my name does have special meaning and actually it is quite fitting for me.

I've also learned that God, as my Heavenly Father, has also chosen names for me. He calls me: beloved, treasure, jewel, daughter, friend, joy, and faithful--just to name a few. I am touched by the fact that all of the names God calls me are terms of endearment and have special meaning to Him. Most of all, they reflect a love that I find so amazing.

Further considering the question, posed in my devotional, and thinking about what I might ask God to change my name to, the word "precious" came to mind. All of us long to be precious to God and to others. Although many other names came and went, that one stayed with me.

I was just about to have a little discussion with God on the subject when the still small voice within interrupted me and said, "I call you more than precious…I call you "Mine." Overcome by emotion and blinded by tears that made it hard to see, I was touched afresh by truth that I find beyond comprehension regarding the depth of God the Father’s love for me.

Perhaps your memory is scarred from days gone by when the names that were chosen for you, by those from whom you longed for love and respect, were mean or cruel not to mention unfitting. Having taken those words to heart you feel unloved by others and by God.

Are you mindful of the popular old adage "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me?" I've got news for you--that's a lie. Words do have the power to hurt us, but according to the Bible they also have the power to heal.

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." Proverbs 18:21 

"There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health." Proverbs 12:18

Those words that have inflicted so much pain in your life can be healed by His truths. As God's child  you are not the sum of the names others have chosen for you. Having been saved you've been adopted by God and as your Father He has named you personally.

According to His Word you are His Beloved, His precious one. He knitted and formed you in your mother’s womb. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are His unique creation and His stamp of approval is on you.

He says to you, the very same thing He said to me "You are more than precious…you are Mine." People, especially children, often say "mine, mine, mine" in an effort to exert rights of ownership. They are possessive in a way that is not viewed positively. However being owned and loved by our possessive Heavenly Father--that's a good thing.

"I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." Ephesians 3:16-19