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
Have you ever noticed as you are reading through the lineage of Judah that when Jabez is born, only his mother is mentioned? Yet, all of the others have their fathers mentioned, along with their line of inheritance. Still yet, here is a young man who seemingly has no one to be an heir of – and no inheritance.
Nowhere can I find that he complained that his father wasn’t mentioned. What do we find? A simple prayer, “Oh God 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.
How much time to do we spend complaining of how, what, why, when, and where we were set back? So many of us spend too much time looking in the rearview mirror, singing the umpteenth verse of the “There was no one to help me” song – when instead, we should be looking through the windshield in the direction God wants to take us. I would like to shake you by saying, “WAKE UP!” It matters not where we come from. It is where God wants to take you that is important.
His Word declares He will withhold no good thing from us. Did it not say He is a God of increase? John the Baptist said it best, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). God wants to enlarge your territory.
Our prayer for you this week: May you come to realize God is waiting to enlarge your territory and increase your future.
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