Lionel Dorsey: Confidence in God's Blessing

And Jabez was more honorable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. 10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that thy hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it be not to my sorrow! And God granted him that which he requested.

The word of God says that Jabez's mother assigned to Jabez his name because she bore him in great pain. Doubtless, she assigned to him the understanding that indeed he was the object of her pain. We know that the power of blessing is important. More than that the blessing of our parents is even more important.

In the Jewish culture it is common to name a child according to the purpose, character even their destiny. It shocking that a parent would give their child a name that has so many negative connotations. Imagine if you named your child "headache", or "nuisance". I'm sure that over time that child might develop a bitter conscience. Knowing the enemy, the accuser of the brethren, would rejoice over the opportunity to oppress such a one with a grieving awareness of the plight assigned to him, perhaps Jabez received his name in his soul...taking it to heart.

Sometimes we experience rejection or bitterness because of someone else's pain. Having nothing to do with us, others sometimes heap on us their experiences which can bruise the soul.

But Jabez, being honorable cried out and refused to receive a negative spirit. He asked the Lord to bless him, to give him an inheritance. He asked God to assign to him territory a sign of favor, inheritance. Territory is a sign that we are rooted in purpose given to us a blessing from our posterity. Perhaps this man was orphaned because the bible does not tell us who his father was. Perhaps he had no one to offer him an inheritance.

Jabez, being in the midst of Judah - which means praise, may have been over-looked by everyone else. But God noticed him. He noticed his faith, he saw his heart. God granted his request in spite of the things people called him. Jabez understood that the power of life and death is in the tongue. He called on God not his kinsman to bless him. Everyone else around him seemed to have a great inheritance, families to which they could be linked but not Jabez.

Jabez reached down and recalled the goodness of the God of Israel. The God of Israel is the one who makes it possible to change your destiny like that of Jacob. He called on Jacob's God. The God who makes it abundantly clear that He is able to assign to you great purpose and destiny.

I'm also reminded of David's prayer in Psalm 27:10-14. David said: Even though my father and mother have left me, ADONAI will care for me. Teach me your way, ADONAI; lead me on a level path because of my enemies don't give me up to the whims of my foes; for false witnesses have risen against me, also those who are breathing violence. If I hadn't believed that I would see ADONAI's goodness in the land of the living, . . . Put your hope in ADONAI, be strong, and let your heart take courage! Yes, put your hope in ADONAI! (COMPLETE JEWISH BIBLE)

Sometimes the pain we experience is of our own making. But what about those who bear false witness against us. To our knowledge Jabez did nothing wrong but his mother still assigned to him a moniker reflective of her suffering. Perhaps our parents have abandoned us, as from time to time they may. Perhaps they or your co-workers, siblings, or brothers in the Lord don't call out of us the purpose God deposited in us. Each of us should be confident that we can call on God to see the goodness of God in the land of the living. Hope and faith in the conviction that God would be good to us is essential if we are to finish well in the land of the living. We are not immune for being misunderstood but we can be blessed in spite of it.

May the God of Israel bless you and cause you to have an unexpected inheritance. An inheritance not based on the estimation of others but one that reflects God's heart toward you. God is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we could ever ask or think. Let's start asking GOD to bless us lest we faint.