Daily Devotions
April 16th, 2015 by Pastor Solley1 Chron 4:9-10
9 And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.
10 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.
Jabez asked for the blessings of God and then for his coast to be enlarged. Jabez was not asking for possessions, but for opportunity to serve the Lord. Then came the request “That thine hand might be with me”. Jabez understood that without the presence and power of the Lord upon his life that he could do nothing for the Lord. Many times the Christian will set out to do something, and something good, something in the name of the Lord, but set out to do it alone. When we do that we should expect to meet frustration and failure alone the way. Jesus told us in John 15 that without Him we can do nothing. There is a reason that the disciples were commanded to wait for the Holy Spirit as Jesus ascended back into heaven after the resurrection, without Him, without His presence, without His power we can do nothing for Him. There is an enemy who stands opposed to the work and people of God, a powerful enemy that we cannot get past on our own. Jabez prayed for the presence of God because he needed Him and so do we.