I Chronicles 4:10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and englarge 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.
Many people, perhaps most people in the history of the world, have been born with both a name and an occupation that have been given them at birth. For instance, in ancient Israel most people did what their fathers had done. In Egypt that was mandatory. At one time in much of Europe, people are born both into a name and into an occupation. Sometimes the occupation becomes the name. So if you are named Butcher, Baker, Tanner, Carpenter, or Cook, perhaps this is a reflection of what your great, great, great, great grandparents did as an occupation.
In I Chronicles 4 we read the genealogies. Verse 23 says, “These were the potters, and those that dwelt among plants and hedges: there they dwelt with the king for his work.” Here is a family or group of families that have an occupation that was given to them at the get-go. Verse 21 speaks about “the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen.” These were things that were imposed upon them. They did not choose their name. They did not choose their occupation. They were born with it.
That can be a problem because sometimes we are born with a name that is not honorable or with work that just does not seem to fit. I want to encourage you this morning. Don’t just try to make a name for yourself; pray! That does not mean you have to accept everything just as it is, but don’t try to strong-arm your way through life to get into a position that you think is better than the one you occupy now.
Jabez is a man of whom it is said he “was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.” Talk about a rough start! The little we know about Jabez is that he was born with a name that essentially meant “trouble.” Imagine your mom putting that on you from the very beginning. His name was “Sorrow.”
Verse 10 says, “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.” I love that! God granted a man named Sorrow what he asked, and he was more honorable than his brethren.
Now, you have prayer; God has power. When you put the two together you have the makings of bridging the gap from where you are and where you ought to be. Maybe you were born with a name and maybe you have an occupation that has been imposed upon you. That is not as likely in this time and place as it was in years past, but perhaps you feel that way. God made you intentionally. God knows you. God has power. Why don’t you make a prayer?
We don’t know Jabez’s accomplishments. Some people have speculated that he distinguished himself in some conquest in Canaan or something. I don’t know. We don’t know Jabez’s accomplishments because it is not written here, but we know his prayer and we know that God answered.
Today, whatever name you wish to have and whatever accomplishment you wish to contribute to the building of that name, don’t cut God out. God has the power and you have a prayer.