“Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.”
1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (NIV)
What a heavy burden. To have a name that rhymes with pain, sounds like pain, and reminds everyone who hears it of pain. It would be a pain to bear it. Every time mother tells the story of your birth, it is an agony. By the time you are twelve, you have heard every joke in the book about pain, have been called every degrading epithet for pain. No one wants to hang out with you. It is a pain to be with people and a pain to be alone. No one to turn to, no one understands. Oh, if you could just be free of your pain!
The first human response might be to end it all. One might escape into a bottle or drug-induced oblivion. One can always run away from or deny that the pain exists. But the pain only gets worse. Is it possible that there might be a different solution?
Jabez recognized the solution to his circumstances. He had to become a different person. One whose name rhymed with divine blessings. One whose name reminded people of life and growth and expansion. One whose name meant God’s hand is with me. One whose name evoked courage. He needed to be free from his pain so he turned to the only one who could make it happen. Jabez cried out to the God of Israel and God granted his request.
Jabez’s solution can be our solution today: cry out to God for the change you need.
Dear Father, thank you for your grace and mercy. Bless us today, O God, and enlarge our territory. May your hand be with us and keep us from all harm. Enable us to be free of our pain. This I pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN
Let us praise God for his solution and live to his glory,