NAMING RIGHTS // SEPTEMBER 13, 2023
Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
Daniel 1:6
One of the first things King Nebuchadnezzar did was change their names. It was similar to what God did when he named Abram Abraham or Jacob Israel or Saul Paul. The difference? God was speaking destiny, not shackles.
People and culture like to call us by new names. It's usually a name based on our past or a label they place on us so no one will listen to us. We can decide to call a baby by a certain name, but what we call that baby doesn't matter all that much. The baby's parents -- not us -- have naming rights.
Which label does culture try to throw onto you? Divorced? Single mom? Young? Old? Lazy? The good news is: culture doesn't have naming rights over your life. God does! Spend time in his word today finding out what he calls you that speaks to your destiny -- beloved, a new creation, his child, redeemed, an heir, chosen. Write down your own list, and speak God's destiny over your life today. When you're called by God, it doesn't matter what anyone else calls you.