December to Remember Day 4

Did Someone Say My Name?

Question for you - What name do you go by? What I mean is, do you go by your real name or are you a person who is named one name, but everyone really knows you by another? Read on....

December to Remember Day 3

Any Other Name
Wouldn't Be As Sweet


As a young pregnant mother, I pondered name after name, searching for the one that was just right for our little one with both pregnancies. McKayla's first name wasn't so hard, since Todd had liked that name for a very long time, but her middle name was carefully chosen. Then, since we were just sure that our second was going to be a boy, we had some boy names in mind and almost finalized. We really hadn't given much thought to a name for a little girl until the ultrasound declared my mother's intuition to be wrong!

I panicked. Here we were, over half way through and we had no clue about what we would name this child, and we were no where near a conclusion. Several names came to mind and, well, ahemmmm.....they were vetoed by Todd. Nothing seemed to be "just right". He suggested we name her Breanna, which I really liked, except for the fact that Breanna was the number one baby name at that time.

Let me explain. My name is Amy. Apparently it was a very popular name in the year that I was born. As I went through my years in elementary and middle school, I attended a school in a rural community, which by most standards, would have been considered small. Even though my school was small, there were still 3 Amy's in my class. Amy M., Amy N., and Amy P. Now imagine us all seated in alphabetical order, which was often the case. Imagine turning in your paper without the last initial on the same day another Amy did the same. We also at one time had 3 Jennifers. Ugghhhh. I decided one day sitting in Mrs. Nanney's 7th grade Social Studies class that I would put a stop to this problem as far as I was concerned by naming my children something that was a little different.

So, you can understand when my sweet husband pops out with the oh so popular name Breanna, that I quickly vetoed him right back. We were in a stalemate. I would ask about the baby name and he would say, "I told you what I liked. Breanna." My mature response would always be something like, "And I told you we aren't naming her that." After several weeks, we did finally settle on a compromise and decided to name her Brenna. Close enough to what he wanted, and different enough for me.

Funny thing is, after all of the contemplating and discussing of names, I could not imagine either of my girls being called anything different.

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And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. --Luke 1:31

In biblical times names weren't chosen for their popularity, they were chosen for their meaning. There were even times people changed their names to fit the circumstances of their lives. God saved Mary the trouble of picking a name. He had it all picked out for her. He told her what it should be and He didn't pick the name based on popularity or trends, He picked the name because of what it meant.

The name Jesus has a very significant meaning.

The name Jesus means just what He does for us.

It means "the Lord saves."

Can you imagine? The angel is speaking to Mary and says, "You shall name Him the Lord saves."

Wow, what mighty shoes to fill in a tender babe, especially when a name held meaning over a life.

My question for you is this -

If His name means the Lord saves, aside from eternal destruction, what has He saved you from?

You may not think of something right off the bat, but I challenge you today to reflect on the timeline of your life and look for things in this life that He saved you from.

When I look back on mine, I see his name all over it.

There are blocks of times, critical decisions where I can see it plain as day that if it weren't for Jesus, I don't know where I would be.

God gave Him the perfect name because any other name wouldn't be as sweet. Certainly not to me. His name itself is a gift to us, our third gift unwrapped this December.

The matchless name of Jesus, Father, I look back at my life and see that Jesus is still saving me today. Not only from an eternity of separation from you, but saving me from things in this life, often from even myself. Thank You that You continually have Your hand upon my life working it to your will. Jesus, your name is so sweet. It brings such power, it brings unspeakable peace. I couldn't think of a name that fits WHO YOU ARE more perfectly.

A December to Remember Day 2

O Favored One

 

 

 

Yesterday we began in Luke 1, verse 26. The angel Gabriel was sent to Nazareth with a special message. Let's pick up right where we left off.

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In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you! -- Luke 1:26-28

The angel addressed Mary as "favored one", I have always read this part of the story and looked upon Mary with such admiration. What an honor for God to send the angel Gabriel to speak with her and then to be called favored one.
When I think of a favored one, I think of being someone's favorite. Being really special above others to another person.

I have always thought, "Wow, God must have really liked her. She must have lived a godly life worthy of ushering the Savior into the world.....I wish I could be like that."

That is, until I researched favored one.

Favored one comes from a word charitoo (don't ask me to pronounce it, because I can't!). Charitoo means "to bestow grace, to highly honor". It was something extended to Mary, not something Mary achieved.

There are only 2 places where this word, charitoo, is used in the entire New Testament. The first one addressing Mary, and the second time in Ephesians 1.

....to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. --Ephesians 1:6

The phrase freely bestowed on, in the original language, is the same word charitoo. The same word he used when speaking to Mary, the one we think of as favored and special. Think with me for a moment. In the first verse He is speaking to Mary, but who do you think Ephesians 1:6 is speaking to?

You.

Yes, you.

If you are a believer, you are favored as well, my friend.

Not just Mary, but you too.

Rejoice and be glad! Receive your second gift in this series and make this a December to Remember. Mary didn't earn the favor, she received it and the same is true for you.


Giver of Gifts, it is nothing I can do on my own to be any more favored by You than I already am. What an unspeakable gift. To know that You think as much of me as you do Mary, brings glad tidings and joy to my heart. Thank you for unwrapping a second Christmas gift this season in your Word.