His Treasure | Deuteronomy 7:6

Welcome to Real Life. What’s in a name?

“What you believe about yourself will determine the direction of your life.”[1]

When you see Amazon, what comes to mind? It's probably the online retailer that carries everything from A to Z, right? Our name is our brand. It’s who and what we are. But more than that, it can be who we become. Amazon did not always carry 12 million products. They began as an online bookstore. Amazon grew into their name.

Clearly, God recognizes that names are tied to destiny. For this reason, he sometimes renames individuals to align with their calling. Abram (exalted father) was renamed Abraham (father of many). At the time, he had no child with Sarah. But Abraham would eventually become the patriarch of Israel.[2]  When the Lord first appeared to Gideon, he called him a mighty warrior.[3] At that moment, Gideon so feared his enemies he was hiding in a wine press. But with God’s help, Gideon defeated the Midianites and grew into his calling.[4] 

In the New Testament, Jesus renamed Simon (listen), Peter (rock) for his confession of faith would become the rock-solid foundation of the church, “You are the Christ, the son of the Living God.”[5] In addition, Simon did not remain a headstrong, rough-around-the-edges fisherman. He matured into his calling and became the solid rock leader of the early church.

For a long season of my faith walk, my name was Disappointment. I had forgotten grace. I was struggling with legalism—trying to earn God’s love and favor by keeping all the rules. I kept falling short. Thereby, whenever I approached God in prayer, I believed he saw me as a disappointment.

The good news is when we seek God with all our hearts, he will reveal the truth. In a variety of ways, God convinced me of his immense love and grace. A landmark on this journey was a conversation we had in Las Vegas. My husband Terry was working a trade show there. I flew out to join him. One morning, while Terry was working, I was alone in my hotel room reading the Bible, praying, and journaling.

“Why is it so hard to feel, experience, and know your love, Lord?” I asked. The words of a hymn immediately came to mind. 

How deep the Father's love for us.
How vast beyond all measure.
That he should give his only son to make a wretch his treasure.[6]

From my window, I could see a portion of Treasure Island Hotel. But only the word TREASURE was visible. “You are my treasure. You are my pearl of great price.[7] I sold all I had—heaven, my very life—for you, Peggi,” the Spirit whispered. 



“Why, Lord? Who am I? I am no one,” I told him. 

“You are not no one. Don’t say that again. You are precious and honored in my sight and I love you.[8]

“Why do you love me?” I pressed.

“Because I created you. I formed you. I redeemed you. I summoned you by name. You are mine.
You are my treasure,” the Holy Spirit answered.
For you are a people holy to the Lord your God.
The Lord your God has chosen you
out of all the peoples on the face of the earth
to be his people, his treasured possession.
Deuteronomy 7:6 (NIV) 
My Father in heaven does not see me as a Disappointment. I am his Treasure. And if you are a child of God, Treasure is your name, your brand, your calling, and your destiny. It is who and what you are. For God created you. He formed you. He redeemed you. He summoned you by name. You are his treasure!

Dear Father-God,
Help us fully embrace our identity and destiny as your children.
We are not worthy of your love, your attention, or your blessing.
Yet, you make us worthy.
You sent your Son to redeem us.
You know us by name.
And call us to yourself.
Your love is so immense it’s beyond comprehension.
We open our hearts wide to you, our God.
Help us live our true identity in Jesus Christ.
In whose name we pray. Amen.



Take it further:
  1. What name(s) do you call yourself? Does it match what God says about you in his Word? If God renamed you, what do you think he would call you? Ask him.

    Caution: There are many voices in this world. The enemy often masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). The primary source of truth is the Bible. The best and clearest way to hear God’s voice is to read his Word. It's his authorized biography. If you sense a spirit saying anything that contradicts the Bible, you can be certain it is not the Holy Spirit of God.

  2. God may be disappointed by a specific wrong we have done. The difference is, he does not label us as a Disappointment. His Spirit will convict us of a specific wrong so that we can stop it, confess it to him, and do what is right (repent). The enemy of our souls will shame us with labels like disappointment, failure, hypocrite, etc.

  3. Fun fact: Amazon was also re-named. The online retailer was originally called Cadabra, Inc.[9] The founder, Jeff Bezos, re-named it after a lawyer misheard it as cadaver—definitely not the branding Bezo desired!

Image of Treasure Island Hotel: http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/nevada/las-vegas/treasure-island
[1] p. 97, Flourish: A Mentoring Journey | Passion City Church
[2] Genesis 17:5
[3] Judges 6:12
[4] http://www.peggitustan.com/2014/08/the-lord-is-with-you-mighty-warrior.html
[5] Mathew 16:16
[6] “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” by Steward Townend
[7] Matthew 13:45-46
[8] Isaiah 43:4
[9] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Amazon

Comments

  1. I appreciate that you actually took us on your mental journey as God revealed Himself to you. I have a new name. It came to me right away as I read your post. Thank you for this! It made me smile to become aware of how God not only helps us recover, but makes it "official" with a new name.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow! Kelly, that's amazing! I'd love to hear your new name (by private message). Thanks so much for reading and commenting.

      Delete

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