BBD 09.02.14 The Meaning of a Name (Classic)
Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>
If for
some reason you do not receive your email version of the devotional please
check the Burning Bush website at http://www.theburningbush.net for the “Devotional of the Day” and read the devotional there.
The Burning
Bush Devotional
Classic
from 2002
09.02.14
The Meaning of a Name
Please, let not my lord regard this scoundrel Nabal. For as his name is,
so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him! - 1 Samuel 25:25.
And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, ‘Oh, that You would bless me
indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You
would keep me from evil that I may not cause pain!’ So God granted him what he
requested. - 1 Chronicles 4:10.
A mother has gone to court in Italy to stop her husband
from naming their newborn son after a horse. While the mother was still in the
hospital, the man registered his son as being Varenne Giampaolo. Varenne
is the name of a horse but not just any horse because Varenne the horse
is thought to be the greatest trotter in history. Giampaolo is the name
of the horse’s jockey. When the mother found out that she could not change the
name of her son to Christian, she went to court and the decision of the
court is still pending.
A name can have a profound influence on a life much like
the song Johnny Cash sang about a “Man Named Sue.” According to the
song, the father couldn’t be there so he named his son Sue, so he would grow up
to be tough. In the song, Sue grows up to be even tougher and meaner than his
Dad because of that name. I’m not sure, which is worse being named after a
famous horse or a famous horse having your name (As in Mr. Ed the talking horse
from the old TV show, but I prefer the meaning of the Altar “Ed” from Joshua 22:34 in the KJV: “a witness...that the Lord is God.”).
The fact is that names do have a profound impact on the
lives of people, and we should be careful what we name our children. Nabal
whose name means fool grew up to fulfill the meaning of his name. He was a fool
and almost drew the wrath of David down upon him and his household. Only the
wisdom of Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saved them. But because Nabal was such a fool
God struck Nabal and he died soon afterwards and Abigail became David’s wife.
To be a fool is something that we should fear even today. To reject Jesus as
our Savior would be to become the ultimate fool.
With Jabez, we see a different situation. Jabez knew his
name meant pain, but he did not want to cause pain, and he prayed for God to
help him. As a result, God overruled the meaning of the name and Jabez became
not a source of pain but a source of blessing.
Whatever your name may be, whoever you are you do not
have to be a fool. You do not have to be the cause of pain for others. Instead,
you can be a blessing! Ask God to help you become a blessing to all you come
into contact with through whatever means you communicate. May God indeed
make you a blessing this day!
Copyright © 2002-2014. Ed
Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On
June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.
Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of
these first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent
to prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.
Visit the
Burning Bush websites:
The Burning Bush websites have
received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating 15 years online since
January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading
the truth of God's Word to more than 14,000 subscribers across the world.
You can leave comments/feedback
about the devotionals at http://www.theburningbush.net.
There is a translation tool on
theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of all of the pages.
Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
You can make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com View LinkedIn profile with
endorsements at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105
Prayer Requests: Many prayer
needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You
can also post your prayer requests there (Of course, I am always in need of
prayer - please pray for me.).
If you enjoy the devotional
please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org
There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/DevotionalArchive.html.
Devotion vs Devotional: We do our
devotions, we read devotionals.
You can unsubscribe to the
burningbushdevo devotional group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.
You may subscribe to the html
text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is only being sent now
in html format) by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org
and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.
If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.
--
To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org