A lesson from Abraham

Recently a friend made a comment which has stuck with me. He pointed out that Abram changed his name to Abraham – Father of Many – before he ever fathered a child. Just imagine the scene – Abram walks up to his mates down the local watering hole, and they all cry ‘Hey Abram, how’s it going?’ And Abram replies – ‘Hi guys, yeah, great thanks, oh, but I’m not Abram anymore – call me Abraham.’ 

 

‘What?’ return his buddies. ‘You want us to call you Father of the Many? But you don’t have any kids! In fact, you’re ninety-nine years old, you and your wife have been married for so long now it’s plain to everyone that you’ll never have kids, ever.’ 

 

‘All the same,’ says Abraham, ‘Abraham is my name. It’s who I am. God says so.’  A year later, when Abraham was 100 years old, his wife bore him a son, the only son he had by his wife (he had one other son, by his wife’s maid). And still he called himself Father of Many. (See Genesis 17:1-8, and 21:1-7)

 

In this one simple yet profound act Abraham is doing so many things. He is being obedient to God’s command. He is also declaring his new identity – based solely in faith in God’s promise to him. And in changing his name – every single time someone names him that promise of God’s is declared once again. On a daily basis Abraham is declaring that the promise is real, I am a Father of Nations – even if it doesn’t look like it at the moment. 

 

So who does God say you are?

 

My Name and my identity

I have had a few promises from God over my life. And at times I have railed at God, saying  ‘Promises are great God, but when are you actually gonna fulfill them?’ Impatient and frustrated I’ve almost put my life on hold, waiting till I become the person He says I will be. I have also tried to work to be the things God has spoken over me. I have strived so hard to be better, to be stronger, to be more prophetic, trying to grow through my own effort.

 

But over the past past year or so God has said – ‘Strop trying to hard, stop striving. It’s not supposed to be hard work. This is something I am doing in you, not something you have to achieve. It will be effortless.’

 

My Christened name is Emily, and two of the core meanings of Emily are ‘laborious’ and ‘eager’. In recent years I have taken to calling myself Milly, a name which I feel more at home with. As a derivative of Emily it shares the meanings above; however, what I didn’t realise till today is that it has additional meanings –  ‘helper to the Priest’, ‘brave or gentle strength’ and ‘honey’, among others. 

 

This lesson from Abraham challenged me. God has given me purpose, a destiny, and a new identity. He has even changed my name. That identity is now – even if I am not realising it in its fulness yet, even if it doesn’t look like it yet. It is still true.  

 

So today I declare it. My name is Milly Jones. I am a princess, a daughter of the King. I am a mighty woman in Christ. I am a lioness. I am a prophet and a healer, and a leader. Some of these are things I will surely do – in the future. But they are all what I am now, today. God has said so.