2002-01-01
Good Morning Faithful Readers,
This morning, we will look at the second element of the Prayer of Jabez from 1 CH 4: 10, “Oh, that You would enlarge my territory!” We need to ask: What does this mean? On first inspection, I misunderstood this to mean that Jabez was asking either for the territory of Israel to be expanded or for the territory that his tribe, Judah, to be increased. While neither of those are bad goals, it is not what Jabez meant. Before leaving the subject of what territory Israel should hold by divine right, I do want to mention that this country which at present is no bigger than the state of New Jersey, should occupy the territory God mapped out for it in GN 15: 18-21, in my humble opinion. But I will table that discussion for another series of messages in the future. We need to focus on the issue at hand, which is what Jabez meant when he prayed for God to expand his territory.
I often write about God giving us assignments, ones that require us to make major changes in our lives to carry out. They may call upon us to do something we’ve never done before that we didn’t know we could do. We often are given these assignments without knowing the full implications they can have for work God wants done, because of our limited human perspective in relation to His omniscience. We need to remember that God knows much more about our potential and capabilities than we do. They may come at inconvenient times, calling upon us to trust God that His timing is best. To get back to what Jabez meant by “enlarging my territory,” it reveals that Jabez had some understanding that God puts things under one’s care, i.e. gives one assignments. Jabez not only understood this, but he was asking God to enlarge the influence he could have on others for God by carrying out his assignments. Think of what this can mean in our lives, if we are willing to pray the Prayer of Jabez every day.
Let’s look at some people from the Scriptures who were called upon to get out of their “comfort zones” to carry out an assignment for God. From GN 6-8, we have the familiar story of Noah, who could not carry on his usual routine and was commanded to build the ark. Abram in GN 12: 1-8 could not remain in Ur or in Haran and become the father of a nation. Moses in EX 3 couldn’t remain with his sheep in Midian and accept God’s call to “Let my people go” [lead the Jews out from Egyptian slavery]. David had to leave his sheep to become king in 1 SAM 16: 1-13. Amos had to leave the sycamore trees in order to preach to Israel [AMOS 7: 14-15]. Jonah had to overcome a major prejudice and leave home to preach successfully in Nineveh [JON 1: 1-2, 3: 1-2; 4: 1-11]. Peter, Andrew, James, and John had to leave their fishing business to follow Jesus and become “fishers of men” [MT 4: 18-22]. Matthew had to leave his tax collector’s booth to follow Jesus [MT 9: 9]. Saul had to yield to the Lord, completely changing the direction of his life, to become a “bondservant of Christ, set apart to preach the Gospel” [AC 9: 1-19; RO 1: 1]. None of these people had any idea the impact that their faithfulness and obedience would have on future generations of believers. Each of them had to leave his “comfort zone.” All of them had to come to the point where they would listen for God’s command and obey it at the time God wanted and did so. What a great lesson there is for us in this! Think about how God expanded each one’s territory!
Pastor Bruce Wilkinson tells the story of first praying the Prayer of Jabez and then taking a cruise around the Greek islands. He wasn’t enjoying this cruise at all until one day the boat stopped at one particular island. He disembarked and went to an outside café for a cup of coffee, when he noted a very unhappy man sitting alone there. Pastor Bruce invited that man to sit with him and tell him his troubles. The man was about to divorce his wife, and he was miserable. After hearing his story, Pastor Bruce took the opportunity to witness to this man and to offer Him God’s perspective from the Scriptures on the importance of faith in marriage. The man listened intently and then thanked him. He promised to let him know if anything he said helped before the boat was due to depart. A lot of time went by, and Pastor Bruce finally had no choice but to get back on the boat. He was feeling depressed, because he really wanted to know if anything he had said to this man helped. At the last minute just before the boat was to shove off, he looked down from the railing and saw the man and his wife shouting and smiling at him. The man had not only come to faith, but they had reconciled! The rest of Pastor Bruce’s cruise was a real pleasure for him. I relate this wonderful story, so that we can see how God can be at work expanding our territories if we will simply pray to Him to do that. We must pray to God in humility, “O Lord, God and King, please expand my opportunities to impact the lives of others in a way that I can touch more lives for You. In Christ’s name, amen.”
The story of how I began writing these daily devotions to you is an example of how God can do this. I began writing personal letters about God to a friend who was terminally ill in Northridge, CA. Others, whom I’m certain God brought to me, asked to receive them. God has been very generous with me, and I am grateful for it. My devotions go to readers all over the country now, and I pray that God will keep sending more readers who will find out for themselves how much I love Him and how they can deepen their love too. God deserves all the glory for this. All I had to do was to be willing to use the ability to write that He gave me to do His work. God never asks us to do something He hasn’t already equipped us to do. Our challenge is to trust in Him and to obey His commands. Ask yourself: How can I allow God to expand my own territory?
PRAYER: O Lord, You have many blessings stored up in heaven that You are eager to give us. All we have to do is to ask You in prayer for them. While it is true that You want and need us to join You in Your work, You also want us to do that so that we can see first-hand Your presence and Your power in our lives. Your love, patience, and compassion for us extends to wanting to see us progress in the process of sanctification. When we put our trust in You and empty our spiritual vessels of human agendas, Your Spirit is free to guide us into accepting assignments from You that we didn’t know we could do. He also gives us the courage to make the changes in our lives that are necessary for us to carry out Your assignments, even if they seem to be at a time that is inconvenient to us and take us out of our “comfort zones.” You, Dearest Jehovah Shammah, can work miracles! We are honored by Your love for us and wish to be Your humble servants. Today, we pray the Prayer of Jabez and fervently hope that You will expand our territories. For all that You are and for being the Lord of our lives, we approach You in humility to offer You our worship, adoration, trust, obedience, loyalty, honor, glory, praise, and thanksgiving. In Christ’s name, amen.
Tomorrow, we will look at the third element in the Prayer of Jabez, “Oh, that Your hand would be with me!” What a love letter from God the Bible is! Today, as Audrey Morris’ family and friends wait on the Lord for her to either be healed and returned to us or to be called home to Him, God is expanding their territories by the example of faith that they are setting for others. I hope you will all join me in praying for Audrey and in knowing that she is in the best hands she could be, those of our loving Abba Whose timing is perfect and Who adores each of His children profoundly. Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn