What's in a Name?

Everly Cove

Walker and I have talked about baby names that we like and don’t like since we were married. I’ve had my ongoing list of names since I was a little girl! Yet, none of those names seemed to fit what God has created…

Our first daughter’s name is Manna, and that name was given to us long before we were ever pregnant. It was a late-night thought as I was lying in bed, pondering the account of God miraculously providing manna to the Israelites in a place where food wasn’t physically possible. We have seen God do this time and time again in our lives. When we found out we were pregnant, it was obvious to us that it was going to be a girl, and her name would be Manna. The name Manna is a constant reminder that God is our Miraculous Provider!

For our second daughter, who we are now eagerly awaiting, God also gave us her name long before we were ever pregnant and before we knew we were having another girl. It was that same kind of late-night thought, but this time, it was the overwhelming truth that God is a God of covenant.

A covenant is like a promise, but even stronger. A promise can be broken. We make promises that we can’t keep because we are human. We make mistakes, and we are imperfect. The difference in covenant is that even when I fail to uphold my end of the agreement, when the agreement would normally become void, God is still faithful to fulfill His word.

God is fully perfect…trustworthy…unwavering, and His word is the same. His covenant will never be broken and His word will never go unfulfilled. He has given us His word that He will rescue us from death and darkness if only we will trust in His son Jesus, who He sent to die in our place. Because Jesus overcame death forever, we can step into that same victory…from now until forever. From the beginning, God’s desire has been for us, and for those that will step into a covenant relationship with Him, we will live this life abundantly and then spend eternity in His holy and perfect presence!

This morning, I was reminded of this truth as I read in Genesis. God made a covenant with Abraham, but it didn’t stop there. It didn’t end with Abraham. It didn’t end with Isaac. It didn’t end with the nation of Israel. It didn’t end with the apostles. It didn’t end with the first century Christians. It didn’t end once I gave my life to Jesus. Praise God, His covenant has no end!

God made a covenant with me through Jesus Christ before, and He is STILL a God of covenant in my life.

How beautiful of a story it is! How secure it makes me feel! How trustworthy God is! How wonderful it is to rest in His eternal promise…His everlasting covenant.

“I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant to be God to you and to your descendants after you.”

Genesis 17:7