Are you facing a challenge that seems
like it won't go away? Does the road that you're traveling well and seem like
it's getting even rougher as you continue on your journey?
If this is you or someone you know.
The word from the LORD today for you is, Don't quit!
The Bible says, "And Jabez called
on the God of Israel, saying, 'Oh that Thou wouldest bless me indeed and
enlarge my borders, 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."
What was the nature of Jabez
prayer?
(1.) “Lord, if thou wilt bless me and
keep me, do what thou wilt with me, I will be at thy command and disposal for
ever.”
(2.) As the text reads it, it was the
language of a most ardent and affectionate desire: O that thou wouldst bless
me!"
What was the substance of Jabez
prayer?
Four things he prayed for:
(1.) That God would bless him indeed:
“That, blessing, thou wilt bless me, bless me greatly with manifold and
abundant blessings.” Perhaps he had an eye to the promise God made to Abraham
(Genesis 22:17), In blessing, I will bless thee. “Let that blessing of Abraham
come upon me.” Spiritual blessings are the best blessings, and those are
blessed indeed who are blessed with them. God’s blessings are real things and
produce real effects. We can but wish a blessing: he commands it. Those whom he
blesses are blessed indeed.
(2.) That he would enlarge his coast,
that he would prosper his endeavours for the increase of what fell to his lot
either by work or war. That God would enlarge our hearts, and so enlarge our
portion in himself and in the heavenly Canaan, ought to be our desire and
prayer.
(3.) That God’s hand might be with
him. The prayer of Moses for this tribe of Judah was, That his own hands might
be sufficient for him, Deuteronomy 33:7; but Jabez expects not that this can be
the case, unless he have God’s hand with him and the presence of his power.
God’s hand with us, to lead us, protect us, strengthen us, and to work all our
works in us and for us, is indeed a hand sufficient for us,
all-sufficient.
(4.) That he would keep him from evil,
the evil of sin, the evil of trouble, all the evil designs of his enemies, that
they might not hurt him, nor grieve him, nor make him a Jabez indeed, a man of
sorrow: in the original, there is an allusion to his name. Father in heaven,
deliver me from evil."
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You will have many perplexities to
meet in your walk with God in connection with your fellow-men and the church,
but do not try too hard to mold them. If you see that they do not meet the
requirements of God's Word, do not condemn; if they provoke, do not retaliate.
When things are said that would exasperate, quietly keep your soul from
fretting.... You must labor for the erring with a heart subdued, softened by
the Spirit of God, and let the Lord work through you, the agent. Roll your
burden on God. You feel that the Lord must take up the case where Satan is
striving for the mastery over some soul; but you are to do what you can in
humility and meekness, and put the tangled work, the complicated matters, into
the hands of God. Follow the directions in His word, and leave the outcome of
the matter to the LIVING GOD’S wisdom. Having done all you can to save your
brother, cease worrying, and go calmly about other pressing duties. It is no
longer your matter, but God's.
Do not, through impatience, cut the
knot of difficulty, making matters hopeless. Let God untangle the snarled-up
threads for you. He is wise enough to manage the complications of our lives. He
has skill and tact. We cannot always see His plans; we must wait patiently for their
unfolding and not mar and destroy them. He will reveal them to us in His own
good time. Seek for unity; cultivate love and conformity to GOD in all things.
He is the source of unity and strength.... If you do as GOD would have you, His
blessing will come into your life, the life of those you help, and the church.
In closing, I leave you with these
comforting words from a very important poem in my life of which I read many
years ago, just before God called me, blessed me, and enlarged my
territory.
Don't Quit
By Edgar Albert Guest
"When things go wrong, as they
sometimes will,
when the road you're trudging seems
all uphill,
when the funds are low and the debts
are high,
and you want to smile but you have to
sigh,
when care is pressing you down a bit -
rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and
turns.
As everyone of us sometimes learns.
And many a fellow turns about when he
might have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems
slow - you may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than it seems
to a faint and faltering man;
Often the struggler has given up when
he might have captured the victor's cup;
and he learned too late when the night
came down,
how close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out -
the silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
and when you never can tell how close
you are,
it may be near when it seems afar;
so stick to the fight when you're
hardest hit - it's when things seem worst, you must not quit."
Remember, "All who come to GOD for a clearer knowledge of the truth will receive it."
May God be with you and give you your
heart desire today and always.
Have a great day. Blessings,
Blessings, Blessings
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