Called To A Great Name Series

The London zoo introduced a four-day exhibit: “Humans in Their Natural Environment.” They added a human display as part of the exhibits. The human “captives” were chosen through an online contest. To help visitors understand the humans, the zoo workers created a sign detailing their diet, habitat, and threats. According to the zoo’s spokesperson, the goal of the exhibit was to downplay the uniqueness of human beings. But one participant in the exhibit seemed to disagree. “When they see humans as animals here, it reminds them that we’re not.” God “fearfully and wonderfully” made us in “His image” (Psalm 139:14; Genesis 1:26–27). Like a master weaver, God not only formed the intricacies of internal and external features of man but also He also made him a living soul, giving spiritual life and the ability to intimately relate to God. Human beings are special. God created us with marvelous uniqueness and the awesome ability to have an intimate relationship with Him. Like David, we can praise Him because we are the workmanship of His loving hands. Each of us is unique with a name that matters.

In Genesis 12, we read about the calling of Abraham. The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great." Abraham was living in Haran at the happy old age of 75. Life was good, Abraham has made a name for himself, he was established to settle for retirement. The only thing it seems like Abraham has missed out on is having a child with his wife Sarah. But they were both passed childbearing age anyway and at this point they have settled for the good life they have now. Little did they know that God had a different plan for them. They were going to become the father of a nation. Their lives were going to change from a self-centered one to be a blessing for the world. Abram responded to God's goodness with faith and obedience.

And with that, Abraham packs up, gets his wife Sarah and nephew Lot ready, and they begin following God to the land of Canaan. Along the way, God makes it clear that Abraham and his wife are going to have children who will inherit the land and you can imagine the inner laughter knowing they were both too old to have kids anymore. Little did they know that having children late in life wouldn’t be the biggest miracle that would come from all this. Generations later, a Messiah, Jesus the Christ, would be born of flesh and blood from this family line, and the promise would be kept. The promise of God is to exist for more than just oneself in order to bless the world. And indeed, Jesus would bless the world beyond anything we could ever imagine. Our commitment leads to God’s opportunities. When we read the story of Abraham, God focuses on what Abram must leave behind and not about where he is going. He is asked to leave his country, kindred, his father’s house.

Abram leaves behind are more than just tangible items, geographical locations, and relationships. Ultimately, they form Abram’s identity, security, and place in community—they are the concrete things he knows about life, about himself, and about the world. God will now be the giver and provider of context and content for Abram’s life. Every journey whether physical, emotional, or spiritual begins with leaving something behind. Maybe the reason we feel like we never get anywhere new in life is because we are unwilling to leave anything, much less everything, behind. God often calls us to chart unknown territory as we follow Him. Obeying His commands to forgive, to give away our treasures, or to give up things that provide security and pleasure often leave us in the scary territory of unknown outcomes. The call is to a full commitment of our lives to follow the path God has for us.

Abraham’s original name was Abram, that came from the word "Abar" and means simply "to cross over". Someone who crossed over from the pagan land to the promised land. "No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations"...(Genesis 17:5). God said to Abraham,, "I will make your name great." Another version reads, "I will make your name distinguished." Just like Abraham, we are all born with a name from God. God wants each of us to claim it and inherit it. With the birth of every child, a new call to possibilities comes. Every birth is possibility - every birthday is a challenge.