BY NYASHADZAISHE RUSHWAYA
In this season where we are praying and learning more about enlargement in all areas of our live, spiritual and financially, we get to understand a man in the Bible called Jabez Jabez, who was more honorable than his brothers.
His name was Jabez. Here is how the Scripture describes him His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let Your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request (1 Chronicles 4:9-10).
When you think of territory, you probably think of land or some area in which you have dominion. Jesus often spoke about giving responsibility based on what we do with the little things first. Jabez must have been a very responsible person.
God describes him as honorable. Jabez must have understood what it really means to be blessed by God. He was a man who knew what it meant to praise God and ask for God’s favor with passion. God saw the heart of this man and gave him his request. His borders were enlarged! He lived a life free from pain.
The only reason God will enlarge a person’s territory is that He knows that person will use it responsibly. He will steward what is given in light of God’s Kingdom.
God truly wants to increase our territory to have greater influence in the world around us. That territory can mean personal influence and/or physical territories.
It is rare to have a life without pain. Pain is often necessary to mold us and shape us. This is the only exception I have seen in Scripture. Jabez must have been quite a man with incredible integrity and purity of heart.
As we are praying every day for enlargement lets refrain ourselves from being too desperate in life for if we become too desperate we attract different familiar spirits which are usually attracted to our desperation.
Most of us have turned out to be the microwave generation where we want things that we have prayed for today to reveal themselves to us instantly.
But some of the times it will take great sacrifice to get what you want and need for sacrifice is your ability to press for something that you really want. When you see a great man in life look for their scars and not their clothes.
We need to know that life is unfair. Sometimes in this period of life being unfair we can find ourselves in awkward situations. Whether we caused ourselves to be there or we were placed there unwittingly, the fact of the matter is sometimes we are all in desperate situations.
Whether that is to lie to save face, to kill or bribe, to steal or simply to be deceitful, we have found ourselves having to contemplate whether or not we trust God to come through in our situations or we will lean to through our own understanding and create more issues for ourselves. God’s name is I Am. I Am that I Am that I Am which means everything that you require is wrapped up in our God.
Too many times we trust in our own intelligence. Because we are finite creatures, we cannot see things through God’s lenses. Our God knows the end of a thing right from the beginning he’s already been here, he’s already walked it out, he’s already factored in our ignorance, our lack of faith, our distrust and the darts that the enemy throws.
When we look at a situation we see it through very narrowed lenses. How much more comforting it is to know that our God is omniscient, all-knowing he is omnipresent, He is everywhere and He sees all things.
You may be in the biggest storm of your life right now. Like me. You feel worry, fear, anxiety and depression. You are losing your hope and even your faith that God can turn things around. don’t lose hope. You may have done something deplorable, but don’t lose hope. You may have acted out of character, but don’t lose hope. You may not even recognize yourself anymore, but don’t lose hope
