“And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.” (1Ch 4:10 KJV)
Blessings, growth, and freedom from the effects of evil . . . what great desires for us all!
One can only imagine the depth of this man’s prior misery. Yet, we may conclude that Jabez had seen enough sorrow in his life. The key to his story is that this man of constant sorrows decided that he had had enough. And so he cried, “Enough!” Have you had enough of the adversary’s theft, destruction, and death?
Enough of sadness and sorrow. Enough of weakness and frustration. Enough of evil and its baggage. In 2010 it is time to decide, “Enough!”
And like the songwriter, we can ask: “where could I go, oh where could I go. Seeking a refuge for my soul. Needing a friend to save me in the end. Where could I go?” The answer of course is, only to the Lord. And that is precisely where Jabez went . . . to the Lord. No one else could bless him like God blesses. No one else could increase him like God increases. No one else could deliver him like God delivers. So in reply to his question, the Spirit takes him to the One who could supply his desires.
In 2010, these are the kinds of protections we need surrounding us. Hedges of blessings . . . Hedges of increase . . . Hedges of deliverance. Wouldn’t it be great if the adversary had the same complaint against us that he had against Job (Job 1:10)?
The best part of the Jabez prayer is . . . “And God granted him that which he requested.” We serve the One who neither gets tired nor sleepy. He is the One who always hears and answers prayer. The Apostle John writes concerning this issue of getting what we request from God. He encourages us with these words, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (1John 5:14-15 KJV).
Dear Father, thank you for hearing us. We know that you hear us when we pray. Grant that blessings, increases, and your constant presence will surround us. This I pray in the name of Jesus, our Savior and Lord. AMEN
Be encouraged today in God’s hedges,