2002-01-01
Good Morning Dear Ones,
I have recently read a small book by Pastor Bruce Wilkinson called “The Prayer of Jabez.” In the past I have been told that “good things sometimes come in small packages,” and that is surely true here. This unknown personage in the OT had prayed a prayer that can have a huge impact on many lives. God directs me to write about this prayer and how it can impact us based on Pastor Wilkinson’s writing. By the way, this little book was a gift to me from a dear friend who repeatedly allows herself to be used by God in wonderful ways.
I CH 4: 9-10 is the only place in the Scriptures where Jabez, a member of the tribe of Judah (although not in the direct line of the royal family of David), is mentioned. “There was a man named Jebez, who was the most respected member of his family. His mother had given him the name Jabez, because his birth had been very painful. But Jabez, prayed to the God of Israel, ‘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.’” I have often said that not one word, number, punctuation mark, or name in the Bible is boring or wasted. God included everything He knows we need, which is why we should pay careful attention to each thing in the Scriptures. Let’s begin with the mention of genealogies in the Jewish culture. These were kept for reasons of social status, rights of first-born children, privileges, obligations, land distribution, military service, and military levies. Religious and social obligations were partly determined by them. I suspect that Jabez lived in the time of the Judges, but don’t have proof of that.
HE 11: 6, “No one can please God without faith, for whoever comes to God must have faith that God exists and rewards those who seek Him.” Pleasing God is the most important way that we can respond to His sovereignty over our lives. That deceptively simple statement has many ramifications in our lives, ones upon which we should each meditate. We need to ask ourselves: How can we personally please God? I mention this concept here, because God saw fit to say Jabez was “the most respected person in his family.” We may take from that statement that he pleased God. His prayer reveals the faith He had. Without faith, he would not have thought to ask God for the things he did or to place the trust in God that can be seen in his prayer.
How would we react if the name we were given meant “pain?” This is an interesting question, because the answer could go one of two ways. If the devil had sway over our lives, we might reason that since we brought pain to our mother in childbirth, we may as well live out our life bringing pain to everyone we encounter. What a sick life script that is! Sadly, I’ve encountered some people who do just that. The people I speak of are self-centered, demanding, unjust, and deceivers. Often, they have two personalities, the one they show us to our faces and the other which is played out behind our backs. They gossip and commit every sin in the book, rationalizing this behavior by trying to put it in acceptable terms. But God is omniscient, and He knows who these people are. DN 7: 13-14, makes it clear Who has the authority to judge. “During this vision in the night, I [Daniel] saw what looked like a human being. He was approaching me, surround by clouds, and He went to the One Who had been living forever and was presented to Him. He was given authority, honor, and royal power, so that the people of all nations, races, and languages would serve Him. His authority would last forever, and His Kingdom would never end.” Of course, the personage discussed here is Jesus Christ. This is a great comfort to us for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that the responsibility and authority to judge is given to Him and not left to us. He will deal with the kind of people I’ve described in this passage with righteousness, honor, and decisiveness. They will be given the lake of fire and sulfur, if they continue to do evil.
The other way to respond to being given the name “pain” is as Jabez did. Jabez decided to pray to God that he would be kept from evil. From my way of thinking that means two things. It means that he would never bring evil to anyone else, and that he would be protected from the evil others might try to bring on him. Another dear friend sent me the precious “Miracle Prayer,” which I would like to share with you. “Lord Jesus, I come before You, just as I am. I am sorry for my sins. I repent of my sins; please forgive me. in Your name, I forgive all others for what they have done against me. I renounce Satan, the evil spirits, and all their works. I give you my entire self. Lord Jesus, now and forever, I invite You into my life. Heal me, change me, strengthen me in body, soul and spirit. Come Lord Jesus, cover me with Your precious blood, and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I love You, Lord Jesus. I praise You, Jesus. I thank You, Jesus. I shall follow You every day of my life. Amen.” Had Jabez known Jesus in his life, I think he would have prayed the Miracle Prayer every day.
PRAYER: O Lord, I stand in awe of Your grace and of You. Friends like the two mentioned above are sent to me by You. They share their spirituality, and I am made better by this. That is one way that You work through people. Jabez is mentioned in the Scriptures, because You love us enough to give us examples of people who please You. From this we can learn to please You. That is always in our best interests spiritually and in every other way. We need to spend time on Jabez’s prayer, so that we can learn why he pleased You enough for You to call him the “most respected member of his family.” His response to Your sovereignty is exemplified by his desire not to bring pain or evil into anyone’s life and to be protected by You from those things coming into his. The bottom line is that each of us is asked to decide whether or not we will be faithful to You and how we personally might please You in our own lives. You are a just, fair, compassionate, and patient God, a God Who wants us to feel Your loving presence and to carry out Your commands to please You. We dedicate ourselves to doing that and to showing You our adoration, trust, obedience, worship, loyalty, and honor. We humbly offer You our glory, worship, praise, and thanksgiving. In Christ’s holy name, amen.
Tomorrow, I am directed to continue our discussion of the Prayer of Jabez. The love that God has for us is revealed every day of our lives. He wants us to seek Him out, to study His word, and to pray continuously because of that love. He knows and wants us to know that it is the only way to eternal life with Him, that life of joy and fellowship that each of us wants. Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn