Title: Named by Grace.

“And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.” John 1:42 KJV

Devotion: In the opening scripture, you can find Jesus giving Simon a new name, Peter, which means rock. From then on, he was known by this name throughout generations. This was not even Peter's choice, but a name given by Jesus for a great purpose. Peter was very impulsive and often found himself biting off more than he could chew, and for that reason, he was unstable and unreliable. But despite all of that, Jesus still chose him to be the "little rock" that God would use to start His Church. Jesus gave him a name, "rock," that is firm and stable. This was to declare Peter's destiny and be a constant reminder of who he is in the eyes of Christ any time he might have been tempted to waver. As He did with Abraham, Sarah, and Jacob, God changed their names to call out their new and purposeful identity.

Beloved, you don't even have to change your name to change who you are. Once you enter into a covenant with Jesus, He gives you a new and greater identity, and you don't even have to earn it or be qualified. By God's grace, you have been named as His child and are qualified to be a blood-certified servant and heir of the kingdom of heaven. Rejoice and live by the truth of who you are in Christ, no matter what lies or discouragement Satan throws at you!

Prayer point: Heavenly Father, thank You for calling me from darkness into light. Help me to think and live by who You called me to be. Change whatever things in me that do not belong to You and give me a humble heart to acknowledge my shortcomings and trust in Your discipline. I am who I am because of Your grace, in Jesus' name! Amen!

 Copyright @Watchdis Media, shared by Dr Joel Olanrewaju. You can reach me at gbemide09@gmail.com. Please share the good news of Christ with your contacts.