OVERCOMING PAIN

I Chronicle 4: 9-10

American Standard Version

American Standard Version Chapter 4

9And Jabez was more honorable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. 10And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that thy hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it be not to my sorrow! And God granted him that which he requested

This book of 1st Chronicles is one of 12 books of history in the bible.

We are uncertain who’s the author; a lot of people think that it was the Priest Ezra.

The date that this book was written is 425 B.C. near the end of Ezra’s life.

It was written about the Israelites who returned from Babylonian captivity in particular, the human race in general.

When we look @ 1st Chr. it’s a long significant chronology & genealogy in chronicle order. Meaning when you start reading the first 10 or more verses they begin to get a little overwhelming. In the midst of those verses God throws in a surprise. In verses 9 & 10 this is where we will find the surprise that God has done.

The first thing that I would like to remind ourselves is that God is SOVEREIGN ; means that He has complete control, absolute authority over EVERYTHING.

That being said you cannot use this prayer of Jabez or any other prayer that you repeat for 30 days & expect to get everything that you’ve ever asked & desired from the Lord.

WHEN YOU PRAY!!!!!! YOU MUST ASK, TRUST, OBEY, WAIT, THEN THANK GOD NO MATTER WHAT!! GOD IS SOVEREIGN.

It is also important to know that the Blessing Jabez experienced were a direct result of HIS PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP TO THE LIVING GOD. Unfortunately my brothers & sisters........YOU CANNOT KNOW THE BLESSINGS OF GOD THAT JABEZ EXPERIENCED YOU BELIEVE IN THE DEATH, BURIAL, & RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST. NOW THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT.....IF YOU ARE ALREADY IN CHRIST; YOU ARE BLESSED.

THERE IS A BOOK CALLED THE PRAYER OF JABEZ

It is not very big, it is just a little book, only 92 pages long, and they are not very big pages either, but then again it’s based on a very small portion of scripture. The Prayer of Jabez hit the book stands and became the surprise best seller of the year it was written..I’m sure that when Bruce Wilkinson wrote his book, which is subtitled Breaking Through to the Blessed Life. He had no idea that it would take off like the way it did. The original printing only numbered 20,000 copies. When they sold out, his publisher Multnomah took a step of faith and ordered an additional 70,000 copies printed. At last count over 4.1 million books had been sold, keeping.The Prayer of Jabez,  on the New York best sellers list for most of a year. You can now buy the prayer of Jabez on just about everything including your coffee cup.

We have a God who likes to write names in a book. A God who knows us by name. The difference between “Lazarus” and “the rich man.” God forgot his name. In this life, either our sin is blotted out or our name is blotted out.

NOW LET’S BEGIN TO HAVE A CLOSER LOOK AT THESE VERSES JUST FOR A MINUTE.

JABEZ - A BLIGHTED MAN

Verse 9:  and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. (IN HEBREW HIS NAME MEANS PAIN, SORROW, OR GRIEF) His mother put the pain on HIM. IT WAS NOT HIS FAULT, BUT SHE PUT THE PAIN ON HIM. SHE WAS DOOMING HER SON TO LIVE IN PAIN!!! Does anybody here who knows someone like that? Or that person could be YOU!! For years he carried scars deep down in his heart trying to cover them up, but they were still there. The bible says that HIS MOTHER NAMED HIM. Why should we take a station break in the very beginning? Back in this culture it would be the father who would name the child, especially that being a son. In fact there is no mentioned in the whole story of a father. Maby he lived with the pain of a father womb; A father who was not there. She may have been a single mother and had to raise the child all by herself. Maby every time the mother looked at her son , she saw the father in him. It could be there was a hole in her soul. No where in this text, is the father mentioned. Now we don’t know exactly where the pain came from. Could it have been because she may have been in labor for a long period of time?

The Cause of the “sorrow" could be an Unwanted pregnancy,  Abandoned family, Hard economic times, The loss of a loved one. I’m sure that everyone in this congregation and on social media has experienced some type of pain.

Pslam 119:71

IT IS GOOD FOR ME THAT I WAS AFFLICTED, THAT i MIGHT LEARN YOUR STATUTES.

Is said that it was good for me, not good to me. Can we go on the street of (666) to them who may no about it?? It was good for you, but not too you!!! OK I had to digress for a moment. No matter how it was fixed for you, the taste was unpleasant. Some of the pain that we go through it is indeed necessary. PAIN IS A PLATFORM FOR PROSPERITY. IF WE’VE NEVER EXPERIENCED PAIN A LOT OF US WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SAY, “ IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR THE LORD ON MY SIDE, WHERE WOULD I BE!!!

The Consequence of the “sorrow"- Rejection , Remorse - Resentment . HOW TO Resolve SORROW - Determination to see a change in his life! The Cure of the “sorrow" V:10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel.

Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

JABEZ - A BLESSED MAN - 

WE MUST LOOK IN THE BIBLE FOR DIRECTION

Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

The Bible is a book about people, about problems, about solutions to those problems. (And Jabez called on the God of Israel - Jacob

Benjamin in  Gen 35:16: And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour. 17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour,that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.

18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.

NOTE: His mother called his name, “Ben-oni”, “son of my sorrow,”

But his father called him “Benjamin,” “son of my right hand.

Jacob,  Born a “supplanter” Gen 25:26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob:

NOTE: Jacob had suffered all his life because of his name, “cheat, double crosser.”

“One who takes you by the heel.” “One who twists your arm!”

Took advantage of his brother’s weakness Genesis 25:30-34

Deceived his father to gain more than his share of the inheritance Genesis 27:35,36

Driven from homeland and family Genesis 27:41-45

Became a fugitive (outlaw, runaway, escapee) Genesis 28:10-11

NOTE: Jacob had tried all the clever ways known to man to get ahead. But now he is broken, alone and at the end of himself.

NOTE: “God had to break him, in order that he might bless him”

JABEZ - A BROKEN MAN: 10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, - Identical to Jacob's Prayer

Gen 32:24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. 26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

Jabez decided to take his problem to his God in prayer:  Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed …

A Prayer with a PURPOSE a Prayer for Spiritual Blessings.

A Prayer for PROSPERITY “And enlarge my coast - border."

"Lord help me to do a greater work for thee"

A Prayer for POWER - "That thy hand might be with me."

Acts 4:29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, 30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

A Prayer for PROTECTION and that thou wouldest keep me from evil,

that it may not grieve me!

JABEZ - A BIGGER MAN that thine hand might be with me,

JABEZ - A BOLDER MAN

He wanted to hold hands with God! “Thine hand with me.” - Nothing Between