By SUNITTA CHILAKA
MARY and Joseph did not fully understand the destiny of their son, so God had to send an angel to appear to Joseph in a dream and tell him the name to be given once the child is born. Jesus is a Greek form of Joshua meaning the Lord saves. His destiny was to save his people from sins. Matthew 1: 20-21.
Elizabeth and Zechariah were old in age, thought they will never have a child. When everyone had written them off, God wrote them in. they also did not fully understand the destiny of their child until an angel of the Lord appeared in visible form and spoke audible words to Zechariah. The name given was John which means the Lord is gracious. His destiny was to be a joy and delight to parents and many will rejoice because of his birth; will be great in the sight of the Lord and will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth Luke 1: 11- 17.
On the day of circumcision, the relatives and friends wanted to name him after his father, Zechariah junior. The mother stuck to the name John which raised some concerns reason being that there was no one among the relatives with such kind of name. The father also approved the name as John. Relatives and neighbours did not understand John’s destiny. Do not allow people who don’t understand your destiny to name you Luke 1:57-66.
The name given at birth plays a vital role in one’s destiny. Names mean something and determine one’s destiny. In the Old Testament, names were not chosen because they were cute, just names or cool. They represented the parent’s hopes, dreams and prayers for their children take Samuel for example in 1 Samuel 1: 1- 28.
The 21st Century, parents on the other hand despite praying to God and fasting for those lovely children still fail to come up with meaningful names; all they give are meaningless names. The pain they suffer speak louder than the blessing received, Samuel would have been called Misozi, Mabvuto or Mapenzi all because of what the mother went through before conceiving.
Parents have killed the destiny of their children. They behave like the woman in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 who did not understand the destiny of her son and it just never crossed her mind that names have a lot if not all to do with one’s destiny. She bore a son and called him Jabez meaning distress or pain because his birth had been so painful.
Jabez was more honourable than his brothers; he changed his destiny of pain and opted for a glorious destiny from God. He prayed to God who is the centre of everyone’s life, prayed for blessings, never wanted a destiny of pain and trouble and it was granted unto him. It’s never too late to change your destiny. You can’t change the circumstances surrounding your birth, but you can change your destiny through prayer.
Jacob was born with his hand grasping the twin brother’s heel, the parents called him Jacob meaning deceiver but God saw a great nation. Like his name, destiny was all about deceiving people until God changed his name to match his destiny. The name was changed from Jacob the ambitious deceiver to Israel a great nation, in Genesis 25:1-34 and Genesis 32: 22-28.
Jesus and John left no one in doubt as they had a clear understanding of the fact that both came to fulfill a destiny. You too, like Jesus, John, Jabez and Jacob came into this world to fulfill a destiny. Understand your destiny here on earth and fulfill it. There is no failure for one who understands the word of God. Your destiny is already laid out in the word of just waiting for you to understand and fulfill it. It’s a destiny you never want to miss.
Psalm 17: 24 you guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Despite what he was going through, he understood that his destiny was bright with God at the centre. This is why Job 23:14 records, so he will do to me whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny.
Your destiny isn’t determined by such factors as your family, historical background or circumstances in which you were born. Rather, your destiny is in God, settled in His word. If your name is contrary to your destiny, your preoccupation, therefore, should be to find out what the word says about you and endorsing it in your life. Jabez prayed to God when he learnt that the name plays a major role is one’s destiny and it was granted to him.
Parents give your children names that will define their destiny, give a sense of belonging and a sense of identity. Start determining your child’s glorious destiny while they are in the womb, always pray about it so that their names match with their destiny. Isaiah was given a name for his child by the Lord even before the son was born. Isaiah and his children were for signs and wonders. Their names revealed God’s plans for his people. Isaiah 8:1-4, 18.The sweetest sound in the world is the sound of a person’s own name wrote Dale Carnegie.