again...what's in a name?

The story of Leah is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. 

Specifically the story of her children's birth. 

I've read it I've written about it I've studied it still today I learn more. 

I've always loved how she named her children. God saw me so he gave me a son Ruben which literally means Behold a son maybe my husband will love me now

God heard me so he gave me a son I'll name him Simeon, which means to be heard but again she turns to maybe my husband will love me now.

God knows me and that I'm lonely so he gave me a son and I'll name him Levi which means to be United together but again she turns to maybe my husband will love me now

But then she bore another son and even though God had seen her, and God had heard her, and God had given her love and children to love and be loved by she still was missing a connection a personal connection and she longed for that with her husband who did not want her initially did not agree to her initially she was in a marriage of opportunity and even though she was the one who was producing the children for him she still knew she was second to her sister. So would this son change that relationship between her and her husband? She didn't hope for that anymore, she realized the connection she needed was between her and her God. So this time she named her son Judah and she said I will praise God. 

And her mind and heart change she went from being consumed by the present to being consumed by the eternal and praising the God who is with her through her circumstances. And through that child God set up his kingdom here on Earth and our salvation through Christ because it's through the lineage of Judah that we get the Davidic line. 

I just love the use of our names and how much power names have.

She went on to forget and go back to "maybe my husband will love me now" because our Earthly connections are important to us and it's hard for us to remember to keep our eyes on eternity. by the time it was all over she'd bore six Sons (Issachar, his reward will come; Zebulun, dwelling of honor) and one daughter and how special that daughter is because she is spoken by name in the Bible historical record of a woman, Dinah, whose name means Justified, to be made right by God. 

Such powerful names that went on to be the tribes. 

That's all that's all I have for today I just love that once she realized she needed to praise the Lord instead of seek Earthly things God used that son and his descendants to bring us forgiveness through salvation in Jesus Christ.

what's in a name?

Thank you Sunday School and BSF.... 

I'm watching Veggie Tales with my kids, specifically "Rack, Shack, and Benny", when the narrator says that's "Rack, Shack and Benny... well that's not their real names, let me see if I can get this right their real names are Shadrach Meshach and Abednego."

Not me pausing the movie to explain to my children that "actually those aren't their real names either....those are the names that they're remembered by sadly. But those aren't their real names, when they were abducted and put into slavery and exiled their names were changed. Those aren't their real names, those aren't the names that their mommy gave them, and those aren't the names that God calls them. Their real names are Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. It's important to remember their real names!"

"Ok mom can we watch the movie now? 

Sure.

But for my friends... meanings of their Hebrew names Hananiah – God has been gracious; Mishael – who is what God is; Azariah – God has helped. Each of their names pointed back to the Hebrew God the one true God. Meanwhile their new names Shadrach – inspired of Aku; Meshach – belonging to Aku; Abednego – servant of Nego, all were false Babylonian gods. Babylonians were trying to make them into worshipers of a false god, but they remembered who they truly were and they remembered God called them by their true names. And when they were thrown into the furnace God knew who they truly were and who they truly worshiped. 

::chills:: 

No matter what everyone around you calls you remember who you really are and what your name is to the one true God. 

who do I trust to watch my child

When autocorrect puts you on the correct footing. 

Today I was looking for a GPS for my kid, some kind of air tag tile something or other, that I can put in her backpack or on her shoe. So that I can have control, or at least a false sense of that. 

As I was typing it into my third search engine it auto corrected my GPS to God. 

I smiled, kind of laughed, pushing it off. The third time I typed it in.... autocorrecting it to God again. I took a breath and realized YES, God you've got this covered. Your eyes are always on her, you've counted and loved every hair on her head, you've carefully knit her together in my womb, You know her steps, her to and fro, You collect her tears in jars. There is no where she can go that You won't know. My job is to raise her to love You, to seek You 1st, and to love others more. 

My job is not to worry, not to fret, not to hold tight. My job is to trust You with my child as Abraham trusted you with his. 

Thank you auto correct for that today.

Psalms 5:21

Luke 12:7

Psalms 56:8

Proverbs 16:9

Psalms 121:8

Psalms 139:13

Hebrews 4:13

Matthew 22:37

Genesis 22