Spiritual Growth: When God Gives You a New Name, You will be tested.

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." — Psalm 73:26

Have you ever noticed that when you want to do the right thing, something happens and you might end up doing the wrong thing? As we look at the middle of this year, as we reflect on the past 6 months and look towards the next 6; I want you to know that the devil desires to take away the new name that God has placed on you.

You are not a failure, you are not weak, you are not hopeless, and you are not alone or forsaken.

But the devil desires for you to be frustrated with yourself, frustrated with others and even frustrated with God. Yes, we will all fall short of the glory of God in our lives. We are human, we make mistakes, but we don’t have to wallow in our fallen state.

Peter was given a new name; changed from Simon to Peter. Peter symbolizes “the Rock.” Right after that, Jesus is lead from judgement hall to judgement hall and Peter who said he would never leave Jesus nor forsake Him, turned his back. He said I never knew the man.

Jesus said to Peter before this happen that he (Peter) would deny Him (Jesus) 3 times before the roster crowed. It happened. And Peter wept. Peter could have said that his life was a failure. He could have said that “I don’t deserve to live”. But he repented of his mistakes and Jesus forgave him.

This same Peter, after the ascending of Jesus into the clouds after his resurrection, had an opportunity to preach to thousand. Guess what? , 3,000 gave their hearts and souls to Jesus Christ. Jesus used “a forgiven fallen man” to preach and 3,000 people were saved.

If Jesus was able to use Peter, can he not use you? Regardless of your fallen state, Jesus can pick you up. Maybe you have made some mistakes in 2026, but Jesus is giving you an opportunity to look at yourself and Him and say, it doesn’t have to remain this way.

I challenge you to renew yourself in the new name that Jesus has given you. And that new name is “Forgiven.” When you ask in sincerity for forgiveness, Jesus has forgiven you. Move forward and tell those you meet that you are not perfect, but you serve a perfect God. You are not without fault, but you serve a God who allowed Jesus to come and die for your sins and now the blood of Jesus has washed you from your sins.

So, as you celebrate the 4th of July and as you celebrate Father’s Day, Juneteenth, and as you witness the creation of God in nature, rejoice and say like the Psalm writer,

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is my heart and my portion forever”… Thank you Lord, Amen.