How About a Name Change?

A small book called "The Prayer of Jabez" by Bruce Wilkinson took its rightful place as a number one seller. It brought one of the great truths of the Scripture to bear on the life of any reader who will take it to heart.

As I considered Jabez and the implications of the Lord making mention that he "was more honorable than his brethren," I was impacted with the revelation of how God regards a heartfelt prayer.

His prayer was simple, straight forward and powerful! "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!" [1 Chron. 4:10 NKJV]

It challenged the stigma placed upon him by his mother and, no doubt, his peers that he was a "pain" and "one who causes sorrow." His was a prayer that recognized the ability and willingness of God to bring forth a "new creature" altogether.

2 Cor. 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

All things become new! Abraham became Abram, Sarai became Sarah, Jacob became Israel and Simon became Peter! Name changing (character changing, nature changing, memorial changing, position changing) is what God does. Every changed person gets a name change.

Rev. 2:17 ... To him who overcomes I will give ... a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.