WATCHWORD:
Oh, Lord, that you would bless me, indeed. That you would enlarge my territory, that your hand would be with me, and that you would keep me from all evil and harm. 1 Chronicles 4:9-10
Meditation:
Lord, Give Me Wealth
What do we make of the prayer of Jabez? Is that what we strive for, enlarged territory, wealth, acclaim? Is that how we pray? Lord give me wealth so that I can be a better Christian. Really? Lord expand my territory so that others will give me the acclamation that I deserve. There’s a worthy prayer!
Is that what the spirit, deep in your heart, is seeking? God‘s power, presence and guidance to elevate your own personal life? And when you ask God to keep you from all evil and harm, are you just trying to avoid the pain of adversity, and difficult times that God has designed as part of your training as a child of God? Is that what dwells in your heart of hearts?
Those are awfully tough questions, but, too often, being honest with ourselves is kind of a last resort. We’d rather not look too deeply at times because then we would be forced to admit I am a sinner needing the grace of God. What was Jabez praying for, at the core? To elevate himself? Dig more deeply.
Let’s not confuse the requesting prayers we often offer to the Lord, that would make our life more comfortable, or would introduce meaning that we could imagine would be crafted by a special gift from God. Jabez is asking God to bless him, which means that he has confidence that true blessings come from God‘s grace and goodness and have nothing to do with his own personal efforts.
The enlargement of territory is not a request for material prosperity, for fields and property. Rather it’s a request for greater opportunities to serve God, to have a greater spiritual influence, to be equipped to be a true disciple of the most high. Jabez goes on to pray for God‘s constant presence, his guidance and his strength in daily living, to lift this prayer to the Lord, requests for graces to the only He can give? Does this prayer complement our own? Or, do our own desires, our own needs, our own comfort, take precedence? Or, does the content and meaning of this prayer actually take on power as we surrender our lives fully and totally to the Lord? That is called Redemption.
Closing Prayer:
Oh, Lord, that you would bless me, indeed. That you would enlarge my territory, that your hand would be with me, and that you would keep me from all evil and harm. Amen.
