You will be given a new name by the Lord’s own mouth…Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City” or “The Desolate Land.” Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight” and “The Bride of God,” for the Lord delights in you and will claim you as his bride. Isaiah 62:2,4

 

A rocky headland jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean was once one of the most feared destinations for sailors. Its name?  The Cape of Storms.

Located at the southern tip of Africa, countless ships have sunk in the rough, unpredictable storms that batter the Cape. But the port located there was an essential stopping point, allowing traders to refuel during their arduous journey.

So terrible was the Cape of Storms’ reputation that a wise man finally decided to change the name to the Cape of Good Hope.[1] After all, a stop at the Cape of Good Hope meant explorers could refuel to go on to the previously unreached ends of the earth!

Do you need a renaming– for someone to see your potential and beauty beyond your history? God takes the worst parts of our stories and reputations–the most painful truths about us, and longs to give each of us a new name of hope. These names make us more than our pasts. They give us a good future and a promise.

Throughout the Bible, God gave many of His followers new names of hope. These were names of destiny (Genesis 17:1–5, Genesis 32:28, John 1:42)! The Bible book of Isaiah says, “You will be given a new name by the Lord’s own mouth…Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City” or “The Desolate Land.” Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight” and “The Bride of God,” for the Lord delights in you and will claim you as his bride” (Isaiah 62:2,4).

Where is the place in your life that feels barren or stormy? Ask God for your new name and the promise of hope He wants to give you.

[1] “Cape of Good Hope.” Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/place/Cape-of-Good-Hope.