Jabez: Conceived in Pain, Delivered in Victory
The Old Testament of the Bible contains many mysterious passages. In 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, we find a short prayer uttered by an obscure man:
"Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother named him 'Jabez' saying, 'Because I bore him with pain.' Now, Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, 'Oh, Lord, bless me indeed and expand my territory. Keep Your hand on me, and keep evil from me, that I may not cause pain!' And God granted him what he requested."
Nothing is known about the man who voiced this heartfelt cry to God. In "Jabez: Conceived in Pain, Delivered in Victory" we meet the man behind the prayer. We find a man with whom many of us can identify. He is a man with a pitiful past and no hope for a future. He is a man who struggles to find meaning and significance in life. He is a man who is desperate to be accepted by his fellow man. He is a man who craves a relationship with God. In the end, Jabez turns out to be more than an obscure man in a forgotten time. Instead, he is found to be a man whose prayer had a significant impact on the history of Israel.
The Old Testament of the Bible contains many mysterious passages. In 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, we find a short prayer uttered by an obscure man:
"Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother named him 'Jabez' saying, 'Because I bore him with pain.' Now, Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, 'Oh, Lord, bless me indeed and expand my territory. Keep Your hand on me, and keep evil from me, that I may not cause pain!' And God granted him what he requested."
Nothing is known about the man who voiced this heartfelt cry to God. In "Jabez: Conceived in Pain, Delivered in Victory" we meet the man behind the prayer. We find a man with whom many of us can identify. He is a man with a pitiful past and no hope for a future. He is a man who struggles to find meaning and significance in life. He is a man who is desperate to be accepted by his fellow man. He is a man who craves a relationship with God. In the end, Jabez turns out to be more than an obscure man in a forgotten time. Instead, he is found to be a man whose prayer had a significant impact on the history of Israel.