Jabez

From Kennah Grant:

The prayer of Jabez:
‘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!’ 1 Chronicles 4:32

Jabez’ mother bore him in pain, therefore she gave him the name Jabez, which in Hebrew means ‘brings much sorrow.’ (Ya ‘bēș)

When we are given a worldly name, be it legally or by reputation of our past or by the mistakes we’ve made, it’s easy to believe that’s who we are. However, the names given to us by this world do not have to define us. It’s our choice. God is the creator of all things and He is also our redeemer. He can give us a new name, a new life, and a new future.

The key was prayer. Jabez asked that God would guide him and that he would not live up to his name. He asked God to keep him from evil. To bless him and enlarge his territory.

Who knows how many times Jabez heard his mother tell the story of how much pain he caused her. I can see it now. Jabez’ mother surrounded by her group of women and sharing stories about her children as Jabez listens from afar. How did his ears receive her words? Was he overshadowed by his brothers in her stories? Was he teased by them because of his name? “Leave us alone Jabez! Go cause someone else pain like you did mom!”

As a parent, we love sharing about our children, their lives can easily mold ours and many times, it’s all we can talk about. We share the good, the bad and the ugly of our children. Even to strangers.

Maybe he just heard her story once. Sometimes, we don’t have to hear things over and over for a negative comment to become how we define ourselves. How we see ourselves in the mirror. Words are powerful. So let our words be few and let them be of encouragement and love. And let the ones we receive be measured against how God created us, loves us, what His Word says about who we are.

Jabez ended up having a town being named after him and he was ‘more honorable than any of his brothers.’ He believed God and had faith that God had good plans for him. Our prayers are powerful-if you are going to God without selfish ambitions, He is faithful to answer your prayers according to His good will for your life.

Let the Lord guide your steps, ask daily that His hand be on you, and give Him all your anxious thoughts. Leave them at the cross-where Jesus died to give
you a new name and a new life.

‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’ Revelation 2:17


Thank you for reading this, and have a wonderful day.

Kennah Grant