Bearing His Name

“When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies.” Jeremiah 15:16 NLT

Many years ago, when money was tight, my husband and I headed to the grocery store after work. It was payday, and the cupboards and fridge were grateful.

As we turned toward the produce department, we passed a display of Bundt cakes. Chocolate with white glaze. Blueberry. Lemon. They all looked amazing, so we agreed on one and put it in the cart. (The chocolate one, of course.)

By the time we finished shopping and loaded the car, we were starving. One of us—probably me—remembered the cake in the back.

We decided to eat a few bites to hold us over until dinner.

We ate the entire cake.

That's the thing about intense hunger.

You don't nibble. You devour.

That's exactly the word Jeremiah used to describe what he did with God's words.

And Jeremiah was hungry.

His calling was difficult. His message was unpopular. His obedience brought rejection, loneliness, and suffering. Just a few verses earlier, he was so discouraged that he lamented the day he was born.

But when God's words came to him, he devoured them.

His circumstances certainly weren't feeding his joy.

God's Word was.

Scripture repeatedly describes God's Word as nourishment. We don't live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from God. (Matthew 4:4) His Word isn't simply information to know. It's sustenance for hungry souls.

Then Jeremiah adds, “For I bear your name.”

What a privilege—and what a responsibility. Jeremiah belonged to God, but bearing His name also meant representing Him to the world around him.

We bear His name, too.

Calling ourselves Christians means we bear the name of Christ. And we can't claim His name without allowing His Word to shape the way we live, love, speak, forgive, serve, and treat others.

Maybe you're walking through a season that has left you spiritually hungry. Don't settle for a few bites of God's Word here and there.

Come hungry.

Devour His Word. Let it fill you, sustain you, and change you.

Then go show the world who He is.

You are loved!