10/14/2026
What is your name; what are you called? On physical earth we have a sir name, but what is our spiritual name, our name of faith? Are we called Godly, Christian, Catholic, Anglican, Protestant, Orthodox, Pastor, Reverend, Father, Bishop, Saint, or some other name of faith, or are we simply unknown? Let’s shorten this question... are you called by the name of God, or not? Names can indicate someone’s nationality, race, tribe, or family, but eventually they give an indication as to who our father is. So, who is your spiritual father?
“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.”
Jeremiah 15:16 ESV
So, we are our earthly father’s children by birthright... yet when we are born again we become God’s children and take on His name, and something else happens at that time; He takes us into His home, begins to feed us, and provides for us. Our spiritual food is the Word of God, and it becomes our joy, and delight.
“But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"”
Matthew 4:4 ESV
And if we listen to the Words of our God, dine on them, and enter into His house, we will not only take on His name, but will be rewarded. We are told that His children will come into the lineage of kings.
“For if you will indeed obey this word, then there shall enter the gates of this house kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their servants and their people.”
Jeremiah 22:4 ESV
If, however, we do not accept God as our Father, and we do not feed upon His Word, then we and our children will not come into God’s family, and we will become desolate and without hope.
“But if you will not obey these words, I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation.”
Jeremiah 22:5 ESV
When we first seek God we might ask ourselves, “What is so special about the Word of God?” Well, God is the Word, and as we feast on Him we are reborn because of it, and we will adhere to His will as children of God.
In today’s society we are very conscious of what we eat, and we know that if we want to be healthy we must eat healthy food. A common expression is “You are what you eat”, and this is demonstrated nowhere more profoundly than in our spiritual selves. So, what do we consume as spiritual sustenance? Are we truly reborn? Have we become part of the house of the Lord, and thus taken on His name?
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
John 1:1, 12-13 ESV
Amazing things happen to us when we enter into the Lord’s family, but nothing reveals our lineage more than being called by a new name. When I was a kid there was a boy in my neighborhood who was referred to as “Bobby the Loser” because he was so uncoordinated that whoever ended up with him on their sports team was almost certainly doomed to lose! Then we went off to college, and “Bobby the Loser” did well, and eventually became a writer for the Washington Post in its hay day. He was no longer referred to by his old nickname, but simply William, and it was placed beneath the title of the stories he wrote for all to see. A new name of respect for a new life.
Abram was a Bible figure who received a new name too and became Abraham. His name first meant “elevated, or exalted, father” but once changed, its meaning became “father of a multitude.” God changed the name of Abraham’s wife as well; she was first called Sarai which meant “my princess” but God changed her name to Sarah which means “mother of nations.”
What was your name, and what has God changed it to since you became His child? Were you once referred to by your friends by some nickname, only to have it changed after becoming God’s child? Did you go from being introduced as simply “Billy” to “This is Bill, he is a godly man?”, or how about going from “Mr. Doe” to “Reverend John?” When we change families in this way we take on a new diet, a new life, and a new name.
So, where do you go to eat? What is your favorite food? What’s your family name?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for giving me your Word to sustain me. I thank you Lord for taking me into your house and calling me your child, and I thank you for giving me your name. As men we call you “I Am”, we call you Lord, Master, and so many other names... what do the angels call me in heaven Lord? What name will I be called at your table? Will it be different from how I am called today? Bless me Holy Father, and know that I desire to bring glory to the name you have given me. Thank you Merciful Father for sustaining me by feeding me your Word... feeding me of yourself. You are great beyond all understanding, and your grace and mercy pour over me as I search out your Word. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you my God, my Father, and I am your namesake… your child.
“And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel.”
Genesis 35:10 ESV
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’”
Revelation 2:17 ESV
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Amen!
The Hebrew Root of the names in Genesis 35:10:
The name Jacob means supplanter, follower, or holder of the heel.
The name Israel means one who struggles, strives, or contends.
Rich Forbes