Part 1

“I will give you treasures of darkness and hidden riches of the Secret Place, that you may know that I, the Lord, Who calls you by YOUR name, am the God of Israel.”  Isaiah 45:3

Oh, how He wants to bless us by fellowshipping (friendly relationship or companionship) with us in the Secret Place, our Lord our God who calls us by our name. 

What does your earthly name mean?  In the Old Testament days, names were extremely significant – their meanings were in direct correlation with the person’s personality.  I believe it is still the same for us today.  It is my belief that God still drops our name into our parents’ hearts to name us as He sees us, as He already has the plans drawn up for what He desires for our lives.

I used to choose not to believe this about our names because, honestly, I was a bit jealous of those who had names that had beautiful Godly meaning, and I wanted my name to be of a Godly nature as well.  However, my name, Melissa, simply means “honey bee”.  No Godly significance there!  Or is there?

God has been so sweet to reveal to me over the past couple of years why He chose to call me “honey bee”.  For one thing, my life is always “busy as a bee”.  I am either on this project or that project, flitting from one thing to another.  Bees have systematic instincts, orderly motion, and the “queen bee” is the only bee that is fertile.  And because fertility is the only thing that brings forth life, being a “queen bee” in the spiritual world is quite a compliment!   My husband and our three children, their spouses and our grandbabies are my top priorities, and I would do anything for any of them.  The “queen bee” builds the home, selects the home, feeds and defends her family.

The bee has three dances:
            1)         Round dance – for those closest around her; for abundance of food, rhythm of the spirit, stirs up the other bees in emotion;
            2)         Short dance – gets needs met;        
            3)         Wagon dance – for those outside, new home, new territory; more interests, getting ready to occupy new territory.

Other interesting tidbits about the bee:  Bees do not fly in the rain.  I think they understand to sit still under the glory of God!  The flavor of the honey depends on the flowers the bees visit, and every third bite of food we eat has been pollinated by an industrious honeybee.  Food such as almonds, apples, avocados, blueberries, broccoli, carrots, cherries and onion are just a few that require the bees’ pollination.    

And…my favorite part about bees:  their body weight is heavier than their wing span can hold – the bee should not logistically ever be able to fly (or dance)….but someone forgot to tell the bee!

I have, by no means, lived up to the completeness of my earthly name, but I am happy and thankful that I serve a God who lets me keep trying!

“Oh Father, before You laid the foundations of our universe, You knew me, and You named me “Honey Bee”.  Show me how to live out this brief life and then on throughout eternity as Your Honey Bee.  When the enemy whispers to me that my wing span can’t hold me long enough to do Your will, You remind me that You are holding me and will never let me fall.  Call me into Your Secret Place, to sit still under Your glory, and teach me to dance!  Amen.”