What’s in a Name? by Dick Eastman

What’s in a Name?

Foreword to The Surprising Joy of Exploring God’s Heart

by Dick Eastman, International President of Every Home for Christ

Excerpted  from The Surprising Joy of Exploring God’s Heart

A Daily Adventure with 365 of His Names

© 2011 Relationship Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

We all agree—one’s name is important!

A name, according to Webster’s dictionary, is “a word or phrase that constitutes the distinctive designation of a person or thing.” In our lives, the unique ability to give “distinctive designation” to people and things, through a name, helps us order our very existence. When we hear the name of a friend or loved one, we immediately conjure up images of that person and his or her characteristics.

One of the first jobs Adam was given in the garden was to name all the animals. From the beginning, God made humans with the ability to organize their life and identify things around them through naming. But often we forget just how important a name can actually be. Imagine using only generic terms when speaking to those around us? Hey, you! Or, hey person with the brown hair! Imagine shouting to a child in one’s family: “Come here, short person with the freckles.” Life would be sadly generic and sometimes even confusing. What if two of one’s children were short and both had freckles?

The reality in life is that each of us was given a name by our parents, and this name is one of the primary means of preserving our identity in a world of seven billion-plus people. Names, in our western culture, often represent decades or sometimes centuries of family heritage. What comes to your mind when you hear the name Winston Churchill, Dwight David Eisenhower or Mother Theresa? Likewise, names often carry special meaning or ascribe particular attributes to us.

As I meditate, speak, and pray the names of the Lord over the situations of my life, I have found that what I’m actually doing is inserting God’s very identity into those situations. When I proclaim a biblical name of our Lord, I’m making a statement of faith—God is Who He said He is! The knowledge of God’s name literally transforms the way we live by infusing faith into our prayers! Of course, certain passages of Scripture fortify this reality. The Psalmist sang:

Hallelujah! Thank God! Pray to him by name! Tell everyone you meet what he has done…Honor his holy name with Hallelujahs, you who seek God…Keep your eyes open for God, watch for his works Psalm 105:1, 3-4 The Message Bible

All these thoughts lead me to highlight this wonderful collection of Names of our Lord that you hold in your hand. They have been compiled by a special friend of my wife and me, Gaylyn Williams. Like me, years ago Gaylyn began compiling descriptive phrases that define and describe our Lord. My list contains almost 700 such names, but Gaylyn’s goes far beyond that. You will find literally hundreds and hundreds of such descriptive expressions in Scripture in the pages that follow. Indeed, the author of this helpful guide has saved you countless hours in searching out these cherished expressions describing the nature and character of our Lord.

My suggestion to you is this: Pray these names daily—and sing them, memorize them and (most of all) live them. You’ll soon discover a personal Jesus that you’ve never known before. Further, you’ll find practical ways to apply these names. A famous credit card commercial once saturated their advertising with the phrase—”Don’t leave home without it!” May I suggest that you start each day with a fresh Name of our Lord from this list and that you “don’t leave home without it!” Carry Christ’s Name into your day! You will never regret it.