It’s always interesting the little tidbits of information one can find hidden in the lists of genealogy. For instance, when we hear the name “Jabez”, we probably all think of the prayer and the little book which bears his name. But this time, the prayer was not the tidbit:

“Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, “Because I bore him with pain.” (1 Chronicles 4:9, NASB)

Childbirth is a hard and difficult time for most women. Yet it pales in the beauty of the preciousness you hold in your arms afterward. We long to give our children meaningful and beautiful names, fully aware it is what they will be called for the rest of their days.

Each time she spoke his name, Jabez’ mother was reminded of pain. Each time Jabez heard his name, he was reminded that he was the cause of pain. There was no joy or beauty in his name.

And that is quite the stigma, or identity, to carry throughout an entire life.

The words of Jabez’ prayer tell me he did not believe or buy into the name which he had been given. He did not believe he was to experience pain his entire life, nor was he the cause of pain.

He believed that God would bless him, that His hand would be with him and upon him, and that God would somehow use him.

The psalmist, David, was born into a humble family and was a lowly shepherd boy. God saw greatness in him and he arose to be a great king. He writes these words in Psalm 139 –

“Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.” (verse 16, NASB)

This should remind us of several truths:

• God saw each one of us as we were forming in the hidden places of our mother’s belly.
• Every day of our life was sovereignly planned by God. Every high, every low. Every pain, every joy. Every tear, every laugh. Every failure, every success.
• The day of our birth and the length of our life is already known by God.

May we not let our pasts define us nor determine the days ahead. God has a plan for each of us and as we trust Him, He is working out His plan from the day of our birth.

David continued writing –

“How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.” (verse 17-18a, NASB)

God is always thinking about each one us,
and His thoughts cannot be numbered,
for they outnumber the very grains of sand.

”When you can’t take one more step, lean hard into God and listen for His still small voice speaking His Word into your storm.” In this post, “When You Can’t Take One More Step“, Donna brings encouragement and hope. Be sure to read her post.

Come, sit a spell. Bring your coffee, your posts, and your thoughts. If you link up, kindly visit those who have drawn up a seat around you.

Photo by Jeremy Ricketts on Unsplash
Today I am joining … Recharge Wednesday .