When God Calls your Name

I wondered what it would be like to talk with God face to face, as Abraham, and many others in the Bible, did. Abraham left his family for an unknown destination when God instructed him to do so - without knowing anything about the world around him or without a GPS. Imagine how he must have felt when people asked where he was going. "What? Are you crazy? You are leaving us for where?" All he had was his faith in God, and God laid out his destiny under His protection and favor. His life was changed forever when God called his name, and there was no turning back. God also changed his name from Abram to Abraham, and he became the patriarch of a nation that fulfilled God's purpose. His new God-given name created a divine identity in him. There are many other cases in the Bible where people's names were changed, and each case opened a new chapter in their lives.

However, there is one dramatic case in the book of Luke 8:43-48 that many of us can relate to. The woman, in this case, suffered some type of bleeding issue and was regarded as unclean for twelve years of her life. Imagine how devastated she was emotionally, socially, and financially. She probably was never welcomed in any social gatherings and was impoverished because of all her medical bills, and I suppose that her self-image hit rock bottom. Yet, her faith in Jesus gave her enough courage to push through the crowd and touch his garment as He passed by (she understood that the Messiah would rise with healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2)), which changed her life forever. Jesus intentionally called her out instead of continuing to move, addressed her as "daughter," and elevated her to a new standing in the eyes of all people as He declared her healing. She was no longer a woman despised and rejected, which instantly changed her life for good. That is our destiny designed by God - to be called His sons and daughters and have life in Him abundantly -as a victor and not a victim. He said in John 10:10; I came that you have life and have it abundantly. He loves us so much that He willingly gave us His only son Jesus so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life - as His sons and daughters.