I want to introduce you to the Hebrew word na’ar, which is usually translated as “boy, lad, young man.” When Joseph was watching the sheep, he was called a na’ar (Genesis 37:2). Samuel was referred to as a na’ar (1 Samuel 3:1). Goliath disdained David and called him “but a youth [na’ar]” (1 Samuel 17:42). The feminine form of this word is na’arah and is generally translated as “girl, maiden, young woman.” Esther is an example of a na’arah. God prepared her from the time she was a little girl for the moment that He would use her to save her people (Esther 2:9). Everything that Esther went through was part of her preparation to be God’s instrument.

When I was studying Hebrew, my professor emphasized that Hebrew has a depth to it that never ends. He said, “It’s a language beyond what we understand. It’s the language God used to create the world.” In a discussion with him about how to translate na’ar in Genesis 37:2 referring to Joseph, he said, “You cannot call Joseph a young lad. That is demeaning to him.” So I wondered how to translate this verse. My professor responded, “Joseph is the crown prince of Egypt. If you’re going to translate the word na’ar in reference to Joseph, then you translate it, ‘Joseph the crown prince of Egypt.’” He added, “I don’t care how young he was or how far away he was from the fulfillment of God’s purpose in his life; in the eyes of God, Joseph was that crown prince from the time he was born. So if you’re calling him something different, you’re not thinking about him by the revelation that God has about him.” My professor’s comments had a very deep impact on me.

Rather than waiting for people to mature, ourselves included, we must see everyone the way God sees us. He created us in our mother’s womb with a specific purpose and fulfillment, and He sees us like that every day of our lives. God’s end-time plan is gigantic, so we think, “I need more anointing. I need God to do more in me.” But Yeshua (Jesus) is saying, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Revelation 3:20).[1] You are being prepared to sit on the throne with Christ and reign with Him upon the earth (Revelation 5:10). What else should I call you if not the crown prince or princess of the Kingdom? Have faith that God causes all things to work together for your good to fulfill the purpose He planned for you when He created you (Romans 8:28).

You can either call yourself a young child in the things of God, or you can be a na’ar who is being created from the moment you were conceived to fulfill the purpose and plan of God in your life. We are the kings and priests of God. I do not care where you are in the process; God sees you as the finished product. He saw you as that when He created you. Stop thinking in conflict with God’s mind. Put on the mind of Christ and think about His plan for you. You are His anointed. You are His chosen. That is how we are to think about ourselves.

[1] All Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995).

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