Word of Encouragement (08/22/2024)

Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked. (1 Chron. 4:10)

Jabez mentions the reason for his three petitions at the end of the prayer: “...so that it might not bring me pain.” That is a surprisingly passive and moderate desire, isn’t it? But there is a reason for that. A few days ago, we saw how Jabez was given the name: “...his mother called his name Jabez, saying, ‘Because I bore him in pain’” (v. 9). It seems that Jabez was very much mindful of the tragic circumstance of his birth. How could he not be when he was reminded of it whenever he was called by his name? Would it be surprising if that experience made him think that pain was his destiny? This prayer shows that he was definitely fearful of that possibility.

But Jabez did not succumb to that thinking. He was mindful of it, but he did not accept it. He managed to become more honorable than his brothers (v. 9). We don’t know how. But we do know that he prayed to the God of Israel. Prayer was his act of defiance. I am sure that he did not just pray. But prayer was foundational to his defiance against what he feared was his fate.

Prayer may seem like nothing, the most ineffective and useless thing to do to solve our problems. That would be the case if prayer were nothing but a monologue. But it is not. It is directed to God. If God is real and almighty, if He adopted us as His children and loves us, our prayer becomes the most powerful weapon there is. No problem can be too big for us if we can pray. No enemy can terrorize us if we can pray. No obstacle is too much for us to overcome if we can pray to our God.

This prayer suggests that Jabez might have struggled with that sinking feeling of being doomed to a life of pain. He could have just resigned himself to (what he perceived to be his) fate. Instead, he aroused himself to pray, and “God granted what he asked.” He became a man of honor. He was blessed and had his border enlarged. He experienced the hand of God preserving and prospering him. Instead of a life of pain, he enjoyed a life of blessedness. Jabez prayed and God granted him a new life.

Every day, we face the same choice—between resigning ourselves to our circumstances and praying; between giving in to despair and praying; between getting consumed by bitterness and praying; between letting our past determine our identity and praying; between perishing in our failures and helplessness and praying to God, our heavenly Father. May the Father of mercies and God of all comfort draw you to His throne of grace in prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, our great High Priest!

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