Today’s Reading:
1Chronicles 4:9-10
“And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou would bless me indeed, and enlarge my cost, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou would keep me from evil that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.” (vv. 9-10 AKJV)
“There was a man named Jabez who was more honourable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory. Please be with me in all that I do and keep me from all trouble and pain.’ And God granted him his request.” (vv. 9-10 NLT)
Any time God, in his pleasure gives us details of the life of anyone in the Scriptures, there is always a lot to learn from such life. For example, in the life of Jabez, nothing was mentioned about him except the short verses of today. Let us see what can be learned from this short story.
Who is Jabez?
Jabez as his name implies, Jabez had a very bad beginning because he was given birth to in pains, his mother named him Jabez - First, Jabez had a very bad and poor beginning. But the bad beginning has not limited the possibilities of good things in his life. We should not let challenges of our difficult beginning deter our progress in life. Out faulty beginning must not deceive us to thinking that our future will be determined by our past. Our previous restrictions must not intimidate us or be apprehensive that our future would be affected. As for Jabez, he started in sorrow and ended up in honour (v. 9). In the Scriptures, those that God used mightily are example for us to operate in the authority, for the glory and honour of God. In other words, our background is not a determining factor of what we would eventually become in life.
Second, in his bad and challenging situation, Jabez prayed to God with strong faith. He did not limit what God can do in his request. A reference is when Jesus finished preaching to the crowd by the sea of Galilee, He asked Peter to “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught.” Peter reply that they had toiled all the night and had caught nothing. But at Jesus’s word he will launch out into the see again, this time deep. Whey they did, their net caught multitude of fishes that their net began to cut. When we launch deep into the sea of life, we learn to pray and to trust God. When we launch deep, we are able to experience the great things that God can do. When we launch into the deep, we have strength to face the challenges that come therefrom. In other to fulfil our destiny, our mission here on earth, we have to go away from the shore and launch deep into the sea.
Usually, our problem is that we are narrow minded about what the mighty God can do in our limited lives. As our Father, God wants us to request big things from him. We must not be complacent with event of life that is rocking our dulled eyes to sleep. The plans of God for us can never be imagined. Lastly, on account of Jabez’s success, he did not allow shame to limit him. There is nothing wrong with godly ambition directed at the Kingdom of God. Jabez recognises that all good things come from God and so he request that God bless him, enlarge his coast and protect him from all evil. When God gives us gifts of success and prosperity in life, we should not give room to guilt to hunt us or listen to negative criticisms of others to deter us. Also, Jabez prayer and life teaches us never to count ourselves out of those that God can bless or think short of ourselves. Our bad beginning cannot determine our destinies, we should let our request to the Father reflect the greatness of God and not our shallow and limited imaginations. Are you reading this, and you are feeling guilty of self-imposed limitation? or you are bound by your wrong past? or are scared to request big from God? or within you, you are grateful for the mercies and blessings of God, but are hiding it for fear of what others may say about your prosperity? Or are you guilty of criticising others’ godly wealth? If we are guilty of these things, then, let us go back to God the giver of all good things, ask for forgiveness, and with understanding, ask for help. We are to turn to God in times of need and for our daily needs.
OLUFUNMILAYO TITILOLA ADEKUSIBE
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your word that assures us that when we ask, we shall receive; when we seek, we shall find and when we knock, it shall be opened unto us, in Jesus name.
My Father and My God, help me to be able to freely ask from you and not impose self-limitation on my request, in Jesus name.
My Father, I need success, victory and extraordinary achievements in my life’s endeavours, in Jesus name.
Father, let the strongman/strong woman of death bent on arresting and killing me, be paralysed, fall down and die, in Jesus name.
Father, we saturate the atmosphere over the areas where the gospel of Truth have not reach and ask that you please sent out conscientious labours into your field, in Jesus name.
Father, visit every Christian home at the verge of being broken, with your mercy, deliverance, and healing, in Jesus name.
We plead the Blood of Jesus over perishing souls, and dash to pieces every covenant between the souls of men and Satan, in Jesus name.
We bind and cast out every spirit of prayerlessness, discouragement and vainglory in the body of Christ, in Jesus name.
Father deliver, and heal the citizen of our nation and our leaders from all forms of ungodliness, selfishness, and let them have the fear of you I all that they do, in Jesus name.
Every satanic altar dominating and directing the affairs of this nation, be turned to pieces, and burnt to ashes, in Jesus name.
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