January 4, 2014

Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request. - 1 Chronicles 4:10

There is a small book focused on this verse simply entitled, The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson.  N this book the author asks some relevant questions such as:

• When was the last time God worked through you in such a way that you knew beyond a doubt God had done it?
•  Why not ask?  i.e. – Why not ask God to bless you and enlarge your territory?
• If the God of heaven loves you infinitely and wants you in His presence every moment, and if He knows that heaven is a much better place for you, then why on earth has He left you here?
•  Do we really understand how far the American Dream is from God’s dream for us?
• How would your day unfold if you believed that God wants your borders expanded at all times with every person?

Bruce comments in the book, “The very nature of God is to have goodness in so much abundance that it overflows into our unworthy lives.”  Isn’t that exactly correct considering that God is love?  We see this very example from wealthy families where the abundance of the parents overflows into their children’s lives.  And if we being evil know how to do this, how much more is a perfect heavenly Father wanting to give?

Tony Dungy comments that he “measured the team by whether it played up to its potential” and “that’s also how I measure myself”.  My consistent thought on this type of thinking is I seldom know my true potential.  It seems to me that others have a better vision of this than I do myself and no one has a true concept of it except God Himself.  But our potential is never really realized unless we FROG (Fully Rely On God).  Our potential is limited completely by the extent of our faith in God and what He can do within us and through us, despite of us.

Again Bruce comments, “We are expected to attempt something large enough that failure is guaranteed … unless God steps in.”  Have you ever tried to grasp the mindset of ‘I can’t fail’?  What would you try to do if you knew you couldn’t fail?  Also, does it matter if you fail?  Assuming the failure is by man’s standards relating to things, maybe the failure is by God’s design to provide a lesson to you or maybe it is a witness to others.  How can we consider something a failure if God uses it to increase faith in Him or an increase to our character?

Our potential has little to nothing to do with an increase in things, but everything to do with an increase in our completeness in person and God is the only one who can complete us.  Solomon commented in Proverbs 8:10-11 – Let instruction and knowledge mean more to you than silver or the finest gold.  Wisdom is worth much more than precious jewels or anything else you desire.