The Right Kind of Name Calling.

I’ve been called many names. Good ones, hurting ones. My daughter in her tantrum just called me the devil. He calls me Hephzibah. Rest assured it’s more flattering than it sounds to the ear. Hephzibah: my delight is in her. I find it second nature to delight myself in my children. Joy, extreme satisfaction, great pleasure. How long has it been since I’ve felt worthy of this? Since you have?

You shall be called by a new name,
Which the mouth of the Lord will name.
You shall also be a crown of glory
In the hand of the Lord,
And a royal diadem
In the hand of your God.
You shall no longer be termed Forsaken,
Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate;
But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah;
For the Lord delights in you,
And your land shall be married.
For as a young man marries a virgin,
So shall your sons marry you;
And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
So shall your God rejoice over you.

Isaiah 62

His spoken words need to always be louder than my unspoken thoughts. Hephzibah: my delight is in her. I was given a new name when a band encircled my finger. But our sin nature causes us too often forget to speak Hephzibah into one another's ear. He too changed my name— the day His love encircled my heart. He calls me, you, Hephzibah.

With hearts that yearn for deep intimacy, yearn to be delighted in, as He does, His words are given in each moment; words offered despite each of my failures. He says nothing less to our soul than Hephzibah and Beulah. I feel Beulah in the peace which falls only and softly from His heart. Beulah: a woman once termed forsaken, loved again, married, favored and blessed of God. My LORD, the God of Hosea speaks to my Gomer-heart.

It’s not about what name I call myself, not what I wish others to call me: loved; it’s what I am called— And what He too wants to be called.

Hosea 2: 16

“In that day,” declares the LORD, “you will call me ‘my husband’; you will no longer call me ‘my master'.” I will remove the names of Baals from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked…I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the LORD.

Name calling should fall more often from my lips— when they are His names: the God who Sees, The Lord will provide, Holy One, Peace, Shepherd. And may I have ears to hear too the names He has given me, true names. May you know, may you hear it everyday: you are delighted in by our God. 

                                                 Delighting in my girls on an outing to the ballet this week.

Together in Grace,

Amy

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