I never really liked my name. Esther certainly wasn’t one of the popular names when I was younger – it still isn’t now that I’m older. It didn’t have a neat nickname, or a catchy shortened version. But it’s a name that my father loved, and so I’m Esther by his choice
I don’t know what name I would have chosen if I had been in on the decision-making, but I found a name in Scripture that I would love to have. It’s not a name that I would actually want to be called, but it is a name that I would love to be my Heavenly Father’s choice for me.
In Isaiah 62 God promises that the day will come when His people will have a new name. They will no longer be known by some of the negative names that have been associated with them, but will now be called “Hephzibah.” As with most Biblical names, Hephzibah was chosen because of its meaning -“My delight is in her.” God was conveying a wonderful message to Israel through His choice of this name. It was to be more than just a change of name, but a new identity – an acknowledgement that God’s favor was again on His people, and that He truly delighted in them.
Zephaniah 3:17 also gives Israel this same hope: “He (the Lord) will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Imagine that! God’s delight in Israel will be so great that it will cause Him to burst into singing.
I want to delight the Lord. I want to live in a way that brings Him joy; that pleases Him. I want to make Him so happy that He bursts into song. I want to be Hephzibah.
For now, I’m still called Esther, and I’ve gotten used to that name. But I can’t imagine any greater joy in life (or eternity) than to have my Heavenly Father look at me and say, “I’m giving you a new name. Hephzibah!”
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