TEXT: 1 CHRONICLES 4:1-10
Key verse: “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” (1 Chronicles 4:10).
It is remarkable how a little attention to details can go a long way in
altering the course of history for an individual. People who have had the good
fortune of enjoying this privilege would admit that it involves acting against
conventional thoughts and wisdom. It is to be single-minded in the pursuit of
this goal, even when it is seemingly unpopular to do so.
It was so with Jabez. He had reason to complain and blame other people
for his misfortune. He could have been ranked as probably the worst among
Judah’s children. There was a certain foreboding about him. “His mother named
him Jabez, saying, because I bare him with sorrow.” Despite the fact that the
man’s life was shrouded in sorrow, he did not allow himself to be limited by
his circumstances. Jabez took a conscious step to become “more honorable than
his brethren.” He achieved this because he turned to God with definite requests
- for God’s blessings, prosperity, guidance, protection from evil, and
preservation from grief. Seeing his faith, God granted all his desires: God
changed the course of his life.
Do not settle for mediocrity in any area of your life. You should not
struggle for basic necessities of life. Reject the negative stereotypes that
people have associated with you. Do not allow your life to be limited by the
negative destiny prescribed by your peculiar history. Once you observe any
adverse situation in your life, do not accept that you are destined to live
with it. Take the wise step - seek God’s help. Pray to God to change the
circumstances, to fulfill His promises in your life and rewrite your history.
God will promptly do so.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: There is nothing too great for the Lord to do.
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