Have you ever mined for gold? Looking for the bright yellow substance that people value so much. I haven’t. But I do look for nuggets found tucked in the scriptures. There are lots of them. They’re present by God’s leadership for you to find and enrich your life.
One of these nuggets is in the First Chronicles. It’s lodged in the list of 500-plus names in its first nine chapters. You will find Jabez in chapter 4, verses 9 and 10. He was a pain to his mom at birth. Later, he was bold in his prayers. He asked God for four things. They’re audacious, to say the least.
Jabez’s first request was a blessing. He desired God to bless him with inward peace and wisdom. He would ask for a liberal investment of insight and foresight to live bravely for God. His desire revolved around doing, going, and saying whatever God intended for him to do.
By putting God first in his thought life, Jabez wanted to expand his spiritual influence. This wasn’t just a personal desire but a recognition of the need for a greater impact in his community for God. He could see his neighbors in need of a deeper spiritual walk. Jabez wanted to be an example that others could follow and duplicate. His request was overwhelming by human standards, but with God’s help, very achievable.
This mindset led to his third request—guidance.
How do you do what you have never attempted to do? Jabez knew he would need the Lord’s guidance. So, Jabez asked for God’s hand to rest upon him: a courageous prayer, a plea for God’s continued presence in his life.
The fourth desire was for protection. Whenever God uses someone in a special way, we tend to let up spiritually. We could pat ourselves on the back and say something prideful. Then, we could coast in our spirituality for a while. Even worse, we could start relying upon ourselves rather than God. These three thoughts and practices are dangerous.
A warning. Watch out for pride. It destroys spirituality.
With these four requests, Jabez sends us a challenge. Do the right thing and live boldly for God.
There’s nothing else recorded about Jabez in scripture, but GOD GRANTED HIS REQUESTS!
