Genesis 35:10 - And God said to him, "Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name." So he called his name Israel.

This devotion pairs with this weekend's Lutheran Hour sermon, which can be found at lhm.org.

When you were growing up, did you like your first name? Did you carefully write it out on the top of every assignment, every notebook? Did you correct people who got your name a little bit wrong? You are not Steph. You are Stephanie; people should remember that. All in all, I hope you're happy with your name.

But of course, with some people, you might not have had a name at all. They knew you only through your family. My sister is four years older than I am, so I was simply Becky's little brother. Or perhaps you were known by your parents. People would ask me, "Are you Edwin's son?" I was glad to say, "Yes."

So by whatever name we had, we were called something, and I expect that much of that name still stays with you. That's how it was with Jacob. We know that his name Jacob came at the very start of his life as he was born right after his twin brother Esau. Jacob was born holding onto Esau's heel, and so he was the one who trips up others—or simply the deceiver. That air of deception continued with Jacob as he both deceived and was deceived himself. What a history to carry around with his name.

But God refreshed his name at the end of the night when Jacob wrestled with God. At the end of that night, God blessed Jacob and gave him this name, Israel, the "one who wrestles with God." In our text on Genesis 35, God renews His relationship and tie with Jacob by once again stating his name as Israel. Despite the failures of Jacob and his sons in the previous chapter, God was steadfast in His remaining tied to Jacob.

So we have the good news that God knows us. He doesn't need to ask who we are or with whom we belong. God has known and named us before we were born. In Baptism He joins Himself to us as we are baptized in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God continues to give us His abiding presence when He meets us each day.

Jacob heard God's promises, and he had a special name for that place where God spoke to him. He called it Bethel, meaning the "house of God." What a wonderful name to have in our experience! If only we could be in, or at least visit, the house of God. But we do. Our churches could all be named Bethel, the house of God. Every week, we gather to hear God's promises, and we're renewed in the certainty of His forgiveness. Whether we call our church—Peace, or Trinity, or St. Paul's—we meet in Bethel, the house of God.

And when the worship is over, we can return home to our own Bethel, the house of God, the house where we live with His words and promises every day. The true value of our homes is not their size, their newness, their curb appeal, or the amount we paid for them. The key might be this: Is this place Bethel? Is this the place where the promises and words of God are heard and where we invite the world to hear that message over and over in our lives? What a blessed name and what a blessed place, to live in Bethel, the house in which God speaks.

I hope your name has been a joy for you. I hope that everyone remembers that your true name is Stephanie and not merely Steph. But whether the world gets our names right, our caring God has already done that for us all. We are renamed as His, and we live in Bethel, the house where He is found. Amen.

WE PRAY: Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Your Name in Baptism. And for continuing to live with us in Bethel, the house of God. We pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Rev. Dr. Daniel Paavola.

Reflection Questions:

1. Do you know why you're named what you are? Care to share?

2. Why do you think God change Jacob's name to Israel?

3. Naming something is a sign of possession. Do you think God wants us to know that we are His? (See Isaiah 43:1.)

Today's Bible Readings: Lamentations 1-2    Hebrews 12

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