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Faith by Debbie Wallis
“Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, 'Because I bore him in pain.' And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, 'Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain.' So God granted him what he requested," 1 Chronicles 4:9-10. The Hebrew meaning of Jabez is pain. His mother had great pain during childbirth and obviously she never let him forget it! Sometimes parents still do similar things by rehearsing the disappointments they have felt with their children, and the pain it has caused them. Jabez seemed to come from a dysfunctional family, with a mother who brought guilt on her children. But in spite of all that, he overcame the obstacles created by his childhood. The Bible says that he was an honorable man — more honorable than the rest of his family. That speaks of Jabez heart for the Lord over riding his negative childhood. The verse on Jabez is buried in a long list of genealogies. I have to admit I’ve either slept through or skipped over those verses until the book written by Bruce Wilkinson entitled, The Prayer of Jabez was published. The list of names goes on for nine chapters in 1 Chronicles. It is significant that what Jabez is remembered for is not some outstanding achievement, but a prayer. He didn’t win a great
Monday, July 27, 2015
battle or erect a great building, he prayed a simple prayer. His prayer was in four parts: He prayed that God would bless him. He prayed that God would enlarge his territory. He prayed that God’s hand would be upon him and he prayed that God would keep him from evil.
Hebrews. To increase his territory meant that his people would have more area to live in and that he would have more people to serve as a leader. He wasn’t thinking of himself, he was thinking about the welfare of others. A leader is a servant of other people. Our culture has gotten that reversed. Our president is a public servant The Lord said to Abraham, “I will along with all government make you into a great nation and I position from small town USA to will bless you; I will make your Washington, DC.. Jabez wanted name great, and you will be a to be used by God. Pray for God blessing,” Genesis 12:12. Jabez to enlarge your life and your prayed for God to bless him. He domain of influence. Ask Him wanted God’s blessing on his life. for something so big that you He wasn’t worried about being cannot possibly do it by yourself. viewed as selfish; he wanted God’s Ask Him to enlarge your best and believed that God wanted territory. In a time of great to give it to him. Jabez desired the discouragement, God spoke blessing of God so he might be a through the prophet Isaiah saying, blessing to the world. The Bible “Enlarge the place of your tent, tells us that our whole reason for stretch your tent curtains wide, do existence is to be a blessing to God not hold back; lengthen your and a blessing to the world. You cords, strengthen your stakes,” are not here for you. The world does God wants to use you beyond not revolve around you. Your your circumstances. Jabez whole purpose for existence is to be prayed for God’s hand to be upon a blessing to others. After you were him. Jabez knew that what he saved it that was all it was about was praying for was bigger than God would have taken you instantly what he could accomplish to be with Him. As a Christian, himself. He was praying for your purpose is to live in such a something so big that only the way that it directs others to Jesus. hand of God on his life could accomplish it. Pray for the hand I have read through the Bible of God to be on your life so that numerous times and know many you can accomplish something others who have, also. It does no great for Him. When it comes to good unless you are using what you pass, you and everyone else will have learned to bring honor to God. have no doubt that it was God If it is not creating a new passion who made it happen. within you to know God better and serve Him more effectively, then Jabez prayed that God would please ask yourself why not. If you keep him from evil. The New aren’t closer to God this year than King James is my favorite, “Keep you were at the beginning of the me from evil that I might not year, then somehow you have cause pain.” Jabez’s name meant missed the blessing of God’s Word. pain and he was praying for that Pray that God would bring a new to never happen again. He not fire in your soul, a passion for Him, only was tired of being associated a desire to serve Him, and a desire with pain but he longed for a new to have your life be a blessing to the legacy. He wanted his life to be a people you do life with. Being a blessing. He wanted to be miserable, sad or mad Christian is protected from the harm of evil an oxymoron in my opinion. What by not sinning. Jabez knew that would a miserable, sad or mad non- sin causes pain. It brings pain believer need from your God if your into the life of the one who life is just as bad as his/hers? The commits it, and it brings pain into surest sign that you are a growing the lives of those whom the sin Christian is that you have a growing was committed against. love for people. Our lives become shallow and self-centered when we “The Lord saw how bad the wake thinking of ourselves and lay people on earth were and that down thinking of ourselves. Have a everything they thought and purpose larger than yourself and planned was evil. The Lord was God will surely use you. grieved that He had made them,” Genesis 6:5-6. Sin grieves God. Jabez prayed that God would Look at what Jesus paid on the enlarge his territory. Jabez was cross for our sin. The cross was from the tribe of Judah, which was an instrument of torture. Sin the ruling class among the caused Jesus physical pain. He
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was naked and the flesh on His back and chest had been shredded by Roman whips. His body was filthy from the jail where He was kept. There were deep bruises from the beatings and a painful crown of thorns caused blood from His head to stream down His body. God poured upon Him the sin of the world and separated Himself from the Son. Sin causes pain. David said, “I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You,” Psalms 119:11. Jesus taught us to pray like Jabez in the Lord’s Prayer, “And do not lead us to temptation but deliver us from evil…” Matthew 6:13. Sin causes pain. It may seem worth it for a season but havoc plays out in the consequences. Sin takes you were you wouldn’t think you would go and keeps you longer than you wanted to be. It’s like a cancer eating its way through your life. It will strip you of God’s blessing and destroy your effectiveness. It will tear apart your relationships and leave you alone. It will alienate you from God. “Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Don’t tremble with fear. I am your God. I will make you strong, as I protect you with My arm and give you victories,” Isaiah 41:10. Whatever you have done, where ever you have been, God is for you. Change your life in one short conversation with your creator then spend your life following after Him to change your effectiveness on this mission field of earth. He is just a prayer away and He hears all heartfelt requests. He listens to your heart but desires for you to express it with your words. “…So God granted him what he requested," 1 Chronicles 4:9-10. If you don’t have a Bible please contact me at sfadebbie@yahoo.com and I will provide you one.
