NAMES

Text : Ruth 1:2 ISV 

 *The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and their two sons were named Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites from Bethlehem of Judah. They journeyed to the country of Moab and lived there for some time.* 

 *Names are more than your identity,  it speaks volume about your personality.* 

I've had reasons to ask quite a number of  people for the meaning of their names,  and I'm surprised or should I say appalled at how a chunk percentage of them do not know the meaning of the names they answer. 

Some parents named their children only for alliteration sake. If you asked them,  they will say "I want all my children's name to start with letter 'S', " with little or no consideration for its meaning. 

At times, some go to social media asking just anybody to help them with a name for their wards,  how very pathetic. Well, this is so because they lacked the understanding of the imports of names. 

Such was the case of the family recounted in our text. The names of every member of this family was mentioned because God wants us to learn some things about their names. Let's briefly look into their names. 

1. *Elimelech*: it means my God is King. Obviously, his parents gave him a good name, but he is not aware of it. He married and became a father without realising that God was his King. His ignorance  led him to take a very costly decision. Ruth 1:1.

 *When you don't know the value of what you have,  you will easily trade it for something of lesser or no value.* 

Get a grip over your life. Don't just answer to what you know nothing about, whether good or bad. If your name is good,  live up to it,  if it's bad, even if you can't change it as it  were, you can change its  imports on you just like Jabez did. 1 Chronicles.  4:9-10.1.

2. *Naomi :* Her name means "my delight". It also means kindness, pleasantness, delightfulness, beauty and favour. All of these are the portion of whoever takes God as his king. *If God is your king indeed,  then you are in for a big deal.* 

3. *Marlon :* His name means sickness or weakness. Now, how can parents so named their child? 

Well,  maybe because of the situation surrounding his birth,  or because they just didn't bother about the meaning of the name, they may simply fall in love with how it sounds. 

Whichever way, a bad name had been given to a child,  and he lived up to it. He died at his prime. How do you expect sickness or weakness to live till old age. 

 *Your birth may be a mistake, but you obviously are no mistake. Your birth may not be planned, but God has a beautiful plan for you. Don't stick with the mistake,  stick with God.* 

 *PRAYER FOCUS* 

1. LORD,  I cancel every negative and evil import my name carries in Jesus name. 

Bible Reading : Ruth 1:1-22. 

CIA CAMPUS MOVEMENT PUBLICATION, +233241109074, +233558355977 https://hisvoicedevotional.blogspot.com