“Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “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!” So, God granted him what he requested.” 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 NKJV
- Commit your circumstances to God
“Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.”
“Life does not consist of having a good hand at cards, but of learning how to play a poor hand well.” Robert L. Stevenson
- Commit your calling to God
“And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed”
- When you ask for God’s blessing on your life you are asking for His will to be done in your life
- If you can’t ask God to bless what you’re doing, then you should do something else with your life
- To ask for His blessing is to ask for His power & favor to do His will
- Ask God to increase your capacity
“enlarge my territory”
- Jabez was asking God to take the limitations off his life
- Jabez wanted more so that he could do more
- Jabez was willing to move out of his comfort zone
- Entrust your care into his hands
“that Your hand would be with me”
“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” Psalm 37:23-24 NLT
- Cooperate with Him in continually molding your character
“You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!”
- Jabez wanted to grow in humility and holiness
- Jabez didn’t want to live in his old identity
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
“But now, put all these things behind you. No more evil temper or furious rage: no more evil thoughts or words about others, no more evil thoughts or words about God, and no more filthy conversation. Don’t tell each other lies any more, for you have finished with the old man and all he did and have begun life as the new man, who is out to learn what he ought to be, according to the plan of God. In this new man of God’s design there is no distinction between Greek and Hebrew, Jew or Gentile, foreigner or savage, slave or free man. Christ is all that matters for Christ lives in them all.” Colossians 3:8-11 JBP