“Named by God” By Lisa Burkhardt Worley

Before I traveled to Israel the first time in 2014, I was told I had been invited by the “Host” (Lord of Hosts) and that he had a message for me once I arrived. The message was that my Jewish father died but my Jewish roots never died. That holy communique led me on a journey to where I am now—working on a Doctor of Ministry Degree in Messianic Jewish Studies and fighting antisemitism through documentaries.

It was a big trip with a big message, but as I journeyed to Israel eight years later, I knew God had more surprises available so I asked for some aha moments in the land. He did not waste time.

On the first day of our tour in Bethlehem, our tour guide, Joseph, while speaking about John the Baptist’s mother, Elizabeth, shared the English meaning of her name. My name Lisa is a derivative of Elizabeth and I had always thought the name translated as “Consecrated of God.” However, Joseph turned my world upside down when he said, “Elizabeth means God’s promise.” God’s promise? It hit me that my being named Lisa was no accident. God knew before I was born that I would one day lead a ministry called “Pearls of Promise” so he actually named me promise.

At that moment, Psalm 139 came to mind. Verse 13 says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Later in Psalm 139:16 it says, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” These verses are not only true for me, but also for you. You were formed by God with a purpose in mind and birthed exactly the way he designed you—your appearance, personality, and giftedness. God had a plan for you from the beginning and if you have sought his guidance for your life, you are probably walking in that plan right now.

What is your name? Our names have meaning. I encourage you to discover what yours represents. You might also find out your name was no accident and that God knew from the beginning what he had in store for your life.