The Cry of Pain...

This week I introduced my class to the prayer of Jabez, found in 1 Chronicles 4:9, 10. This simple, yet obscure prayer is one of the most powerful prayers that has ever been uttered by human lips. "Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain." 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.

Can you imagine being given a name that meant pain, by of all people, your mother? I'm not sure what kind of pain Jabez's mother experienced that would have caused her to give such an embarrassing name, but it must have been unbearable. My first thought is maybe her pain was physical in nature. After all, anyone who knows anything about the birthing process recognizes that it can be for many women, an extremely painful ordeal. Although this might be the obvious choice, maybe her pain went a little deeper than the obvious? Could it be that the pain she experienced was the result of this being an unplanned and possibly unwanted pregnancy? Could it be that she viewed her pregnancy as an event in her life that presented challenges she was not prepared to handle or simply unwilling to face?

In this life we will give birth to many things that at first glance, may be viewed as something that will only bring us perpetual heartache and pain. But just as in the case with Jabez, God can transform not only the thing itself, but our perception of it as well. If God was willing to take the label that society had placed on him and transform it to one associated with honor and influence, then just think of what He is able to do with our "pain" if we too will but cry out to Him for help.

Charles A. Tapp

Senior Pastor