When God Calls You by Name

For four hundred years, heaven was silent. No prophet. No vision. No new word from God.

The people of Israel clung to old promises — that one day, the seed of Eve would crush the serpent’s head. But centuries of waiting wore them down. Rome’s soldiers patrolled their streets. Taxes drained their tables. Hopes for a Messiah felt far away.

When they imagined a Savior, they pictured a political warrior. Someone strong enough to overthrow Caesar, send the Romans back home, and put Israel back on top.

But God’s plan looked very different. He turned His eyes to a small town called Nazareth — not to a king, not to a priest, not to a warrior — but to a teenage girl.

Her Name: Mary

Here’s something many people don’t realize: the name Mary comes from Mara, which means bitter, rebellious, contentious.

Imagine that. Every time someone called her name, it carried an echo of disappointment.

“Hey, Bitter.”
“Hey, Rebellious.”
“Hey, Disappointed One.”

What about you?

• Have you ever been labeled by someone else’s pain?

• Have you inherited bitterness that wasn’t yours to carry?

Mary’s story reminds us: your name doesn’t have to be your destiny.

The Call: Favored One

When the angel appeared, he didn’t greet her as “Bitter.”
He said: “Hail, favored one. The Lord is with you.”

In that moment, God renamed her. He called her not according to the weight of her past, but the promise of her future.

And He does the same for you.

The Lesson for Us

Maybe you’ve been called names too:

• “Too much.”

• “Not enough.”

• “Problem child.”

• “Bitter.”

But God speaks a better word. He calls you chosen. Favored. Loved. Called.

Like Mary, you don’t have to live under the labels of others. You can step into the identity God gives you.

Application: Saying Yes

Mary was a teenager from a forgotten town. Yet when God called her, she said yes — and that yes changed the world.

So here’s the question:
👉 When God calls you by name, will you believe Him?
👉 Will you trust the name He gives you, not the one the world tries to stick on you?

Because your yes, like Mary’s, could change more than just your life.

✨ Reflection: Take a moment today and ask, What name is God speaking over me? Write it down. Pray into it. Live it.