1 Chronicles 4:9-10 - Jabez
was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez,
saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." Jabez cried out to the God of
Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your
hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain."
And God granted his request.
The genealogy
lesson continues into the fourth chapter….but hidden in its 9th and
10th verses is one powerful story.
It’s odd …the pattern is broken…of mother names and father names…connected
to their children. This name is listed…not because of who he is…but because of
the circumstances of his birth…and the powerful prayer he uttered to break the
curse put on him by his name.
His
mother…unnamed…had a difficult time delivering this child…so she named him Jabez...child
of pain. And so his name carried into
his life the sorrow his mother felt at his birth…well into his adulthood. But Jabez simply did not accept the label of
his name. Instead...he called out to God
to change his circumstances…he called out to God to not just stop the pain that
had followed him from his birth…he asked God to transform his life into
something greater.
His
simple prayer ask God for 4 things…blessings on his life ….greater territory to
do greater things….protection from harm….and for God to touch his life with his
own hand…so that his life would be forever transformed into something new.
Maybe he was deemed more honorable than his brothers…because he saw the
potential of his life if he included God.
God
gave us a similar promise in Philippians 4:12-13…..through Paul’s insights of
God’s empowering love…. “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is
to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every
situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I
can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
It is a
reminder to me that I am never as strong as God can make me until I embrace the
promise he made…and pray for his strength.
Like Jabez…I must know …that I know …that I know …that God can change
any circumstance that I find myself in…IF…I take the time to pray for his power. I must speak the powerful words of Jabez over
where I am…so God can release his strength to change me into what he wants me
to be.
Father…
I thank you for this great man Jabez…and I thank you for including his simple
prayer in your Bible. Bless me father as
you blessed him…and enlarge the vision you have given me to do your work. Let your hands be with me daily as I try to
understand the vast wisdom in your word….and write down the way you would have
me to apply it to my life. Keep me far
away from evil…so that your blessings to me can be shared with all those around
me. Help me to never forget that your
power can give me the strength to do anything….even transform the bad in my
life to good. Amen.
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