Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.
Genesis 32:28, NIV
The names we carry can define how we see ourselves and our purpose. Some names are encouraging, while others weigh us with shame or regret. But when God steps into our lives, He doesn’t just refine us—He redefines us, giving us a name that speaks to who we are in Him.
God gave him a new name in the middle of Jacob’s struggle. He was no longer Jacob, the deceiver, but Israel, who wrestles with God and overcomes. This was more than a name change; it was a declaration of transformation. God wasn’t just addressing Jacob’s past but redefining his identity and future.
Names carry deep meaning in the Bible. Jacob’s original name, which means “supplanter” or “heel-grabber,” reflected the brokenness of his character and relationships. It spoke of a man who lived by manipulation and deceit, striving to secure his blessings by any means. But when Jacob wrestled with God, everything changed. By renaming him Israel, God proclaimed a new purpose for his life—no longer defined by his failures but by his perseverance and God’s grace.
God redefines us, too. Like Jacob, many of us carry labels from our past—failure, unworthy, unlovable, or weak. These names often echo in our hearts, trying to hold us captive to who we are. But God is in the business of rewriting our stories. When we encounter Him, He gives us a new identity as His children, chosen and loved. Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
The beauty of a new name is the power it holds over the past. Jacob could no longer be known as the trickster. His encounter with God redefined him in the eyes of others and himself. He became Israel, a name of struggle, strength, and victory through God’s power. When God calls us by a new name, He’s declaring that we are no longer bound by who we were but freed to walk in who He’s called us to be.
Our new identity in Christ changes how we see ourselves. It shifts our focus from what we’ve done to what God is doing. Like Jacob, we become people defined by God’s promises, not our past mistakes. This transformation empowers us to live boldly, knowing we are not limited by old failures but invited into a greater purpose.
What names are you still holding onto? Are you defined by past mistakes or the words of others? God wants to rename you, to speak purpose and love into your life. When we embrace His new name for us—beloved, forgiven, overcomer—it changes how we live, love, and trust Him.
Jacob’s story reminds us that encountering God leaves us forever changed. He doesn’t just modify our lives; He redefines them. Like Israel, we become living testimonies of His grace, marked by His power and purpose. Let your new name in Christ shape how you see yourself and how you fulfill His calling.
Trust the name God has given you. Step into your new identity, leaving behind the labels of the past. Just as Jacob walked away from Peniel with a new name, you can walk boldly into the life God has prepared for you, defined not by your failures but by His promises.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for giving me a new name and identity in You. Help me to leave behind the labels of my past and embrace who You’ve called me to be. Teach me to walk boldly in the promises You’ve spoken over my life. Thank You for rewriting my story with Your grace. Amen.
Personal Reflection
- What labels or names from your past are holding you back? How can you surrender them to God?
- How does your new identity in Christ empower you to live differently?
Step of Faith
- Take time to ask God what name He has given you in Christ. Please write it down and reflect on how it changes how you see yourself.
- Share with someone how God has redefined your life, speaking to His power to transform.
