WISE PRAYING

“And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain! So God granted him what he requested” (1 Chron. 4:10 NKJV).

In today’s verse we have a very important prayer by a man named Jabez. The name Jabez mean ‘pain.’ Jabez got his name because of the sorrow involved in his birth. Blessings are often clothed in burdens. To overcome the stigma of his name, Jabez learned to pray and became known as a man of prayer. There are three important requests in this prayer – requests for the power of God, the presence of God, and the purity of God.

Power of God - “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory.” The word “territory” here means border or boundary. Jabez sets a dynamic example of prayer for us. When we face pain or suffering, difficulty or trouble, we must learn to cry out to the Lord for help. No matter what we may face, God promises to help us. However, if we sin the Lord will not hear us. But if we walk obediently as a child should walk before his father and if we ask for help, the Lord will hear us and will do for us just as He did for Jabez.

Presence of God - “That Your hand would be with me.” Asking for God’s hand to be with us is another way of asking for God’s presence. Jabez desired God to be with him. Like Moses of old, Jabez greatly desired the presence of God. Not a lot of people want the company of God. In an effort to be as far from God as possible, they visit questionable places, but stay away from church where God is sure to be. But it is perilous to be without the Lord. Like Jabez, we need to pray for God’s presence in our lives.

Purity of God - “That You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” Jabez wanted to live a holy life, so he prayed for the purity of God in his life. There are many folks today who prefer guile to godliness, but not Jabez. Note also that Jabez did not want to have evil in his life because it would grieve him. Jabez was smart in that he recognized that sin brings sorrow not happiness. Sin advertises itself as pleasure, but the pleasure is short lived and disappointing; but after that comes sorrow.

(Adapted from Butler Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Those blessings are sweetest that are won with prayers and worn with thanks!”

Thomas Goodwin (1600 – 1680)

English Puritan Preacher and Theologian

Word Study

Destruction

In Rom. 3:16 we read, “Destruction and misery are in their ways!” (NKJV)

Destruction is the Greek word suntrimma (συντριμμα = soon-trim-mah). It is made up of two words: “sun” which means together, and “trimma” which means to rub. Thus the primary meaning of the word is broken or shattered and was used to describe a fracture or broken limb. It is also used metaphorically to describe calamity or destruction.

In the Septuagint suntrimma is used to describe that which is broken, shattered, or fractured. Appearing only once in the New Testament, suntrimma is used figuratively here in Romans 3. It means destruction, decimation, calamity, ruin or that which is laid waste. This is a vivid word picture of what fallen man does to all he touches, whether it be animal, vegetable or mineral.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – That He would be filled with God’s Spirit (Isa. 11:2; 61:1-2)

New Testament Fulfillment – Luke 4:18-19

Bible Facts

Which came first, proteins or DNA? For evolutionists, the chicken or egg dilemma goes even deeper. Chickens consist of proteins. The code for each protein is contained in the DNA/RNA system. However, proteins are required in order to manufacture DNA. So which came first - proteins or DNA? The only explanation is that they were created together (Rev. 4:11).

Bible Quiz

Were ceremonially unclean people allowed to eat the Passover?

**Answer to last week’s trivia: What did Jesus tell his disciples to do when they left an unrepentant town? Shake the dust off their feet (Matt. 10:14).

That’s in the Bible

"Wages of sin”

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23 NKJV).

Everything has its price, and sin is no exception. It just so happens that the “wages of sin,” that is, the consequence or price of sin, is the most expensive we will ever encounter - eternal punishment. Sin exacts heavy wages which we can never fully repay. However, the Lord Jesus paid the price that was accepted by God. That price was the blood of God Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. Each of us must make the decision as to who will pay off the debt. Will we try to pay it off ourselves or accept the fact that the Lord Jesus has already paid the debt?

Did You Know – Christian History

Amanda Berry Smith was born January 23, 1837 in Long Green, Maryland, a small town in Baltimore County. She was a Methodist holiness evangelist, missionary to Africa and founder of an orphanage for African American children. Amanda was born into slavery but her father eventually bought freedom for both himself and his family by working for wages at night. Amanda’s attempts to gain a formal education always failed because a school was not available, or it was too difficult for an African American child to get a proper education in a white school.

When she was thirteen, Amanda left home to work as a live-in domestic and began attending a Methodist church. She was converted to Christianity in 1855 after dreaming she was preaching at a camp meeting. In 1870, Amanda began to preach and sing at holiness camp meetings, eventually becoming well-known for both of these talents.

In 1878, Amanda Berry Smith traveled overseas and preached in Great Britain, India, and for eight years in Liberia. Her time in Africa was particularly difficult, especially on her health. Upon her return to the states, she pursued her long-time dream of educating African American children by founding the Amanda Smith Orphanage and Industrial Home for Abandoned and Destitute Colored Children in Harvey, Illinois in 1899. Despite her relentless fundraising efforts, she never could support the school sufficiently. At the age of seventy-five, she left the school and moved to a home in Sebring, Florida, where she passed away on February 24, 1915.

Her autobiography was published in 1893, titled An Autobiography, The Story of the Lord’s Dealing with Mrs. Amanda Smith, the Colored Evangelist Containing an Account of her Life Work of Faith, and Her Travels in America, England, Ireland, Scotland, India, and Africa, as An Independent Missionary.

A Little Humor

A bright 8-year-old child was being tested by the Speech Teacher and was given analogies and asked to describe the following differences: Speech Teacher: “What’s the difference between an oak tree and a Christmas tree?” Child: “One has leaves and the other has needles.” Teacher: “Very good! What’s the difference between a saucer and a plate?” Child: “One files and the other doesn’t.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Christ believed is salvation received!”