One of the tell-tale signs of a close personal relationship is the calling of “pet names.” More than just a nickname or an alias, a pet name is usually a name a person calls someone based on his character and or their relationship. It is common among spouses, BF/GF relationships, parent to child relationships, siblings, cousins and extended tight-knit families, close friends, and even close officemates and classmates.
When we are in a tight relationship with someone, we feel comfortable enough to give the person a pet name, or call him the one he is known for. The reasons for this include: (1) we are sure that he will be okay being called that given our personal relationship with him; and (2) we are sure that he is fine with such a name since it reflects his character.
Such is what happened to Sarah’s slave girl Hagar, when she ran away from Sarah (she was still known as Sarai that time) after she treated her harshly. You see, Hagar is the slave girl that Sarah gave to her husband Abram as wife so that she could conceive for her given her barrenness. When she became pregnant, Hagar became contemptuous towards Sarah, and Sarah reacted to her with harshness. When Hagar ran away, an angel saw her and told her to go back to Sarah.
“Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.” And the Angel of the Lord said to her: “Behold, you are with child, And you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, Because the Lord has heard your affliction.” Genesis 16:10-11
At that moment, Hagar could not believe that God had revealed Himself to her even though she was not yet dead. And so, she named Him given the character He showed her:
“So she named the Lord who spoke to her, ‘You are El-roi’; for she said, ‘Have I really seen God and remained alive after seeing him?’” Genesis 16:13
“El Roi,” translated as the “God who sees” assures us of God’s unchanging character of seeing through everything that happens to each of us. We may be billions in this world, but He pours special attention to each of us, that even our hairs are numbered and that He calls us by name.
“But now thus says the Lord, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1
When God reveals Himself to us, He gives us a new identity. We are no longer the sinful selves we once were, but we are already a Child of God. We now belong to Him. The Bible actually has several stories that tell about God changing a person’s name after following Him. From Abram, the Father of All Nations has been renamed as Abraham, so is his wife Sarai, who was later given the name Sarah. God also changed Jacob’s name into “Israel,” because he emerged victorious in his struggles.
“And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel.” Genesis 35:10
In the New Testament, one of the most prominent change of name story was that of the Apostle Peter, who was previously known as Simon. The change in his name was consequent with the unveiling of His role in Jesus’ ministry:
“And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:17-19
So, point of reflection, how do you address God whenever you talk to Him? Do you refer to Him as Lord? Jesus? Heavenly Father? Or are you comfortable enough with your connection to Him that you call the Lord in a name that describes His character towards you — your Good Shepherd, your Healer, your Provider, your Eternal Bridegroom, your Heavenly Father?
Whatever you call Him, what is important is you have a special and personal relationship with Him. As priests and pastors say, it is our relationship in God that will bring us to heaven, not our religion.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21
Believing in God is different from belonging to God. A lot of people claim to know about God, but have shallow or temporary faith. They do not have a close relationship with Him as they only call on Him during tough times, or for when they need guidance, or during Sunday worship, and then forget about Him as they go about their days and enjoy the blessings they receive.
“You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” James 2:19
When we belong to God, that means we have established a personal relationship with Him. It means that after surrendering our life to Jesus and accepting Him as our Personal Savior, we endeavor to grow our faith. We nurture our faith by intentionally spending time in daily prayer, bible reading and reflection, studying His word with others, and living a life that reflects our faith.
“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” John 14:21
Wouldn’t it be the best thing that could happen to us when we know in our hearts that as the Lord looks on us from His heavenly throne, He smiles and utters His pet name for us? If we haven’t established that relationship with Him yet, it is never too late to start now. By praying to God and admitting your sins, and repenting on them, and trusting on Jesus Christ alone for your salvation, you can start growing your faith and living a life of worship.
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Matthew 16:13-20 and Genesis 16:1-16 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Do you have a personal relationship with the Lord? How do you spend time with Him?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing us to draw near you. I thank you for knowing each of us intimately and loving us despite of our failures and mistakes. Give me the confidence to continue being by your feet amid my imperfections. Give me the grace to continue following you and your words. Amen
