I have been pondering the prayer of Jabez.
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 Chronicles 4:10
Did you know that Jabez means “he makes sorrowful” in Hebrew? He was named that, by his mother, after a painful birthing experience. Maybe Jabez just wanted to make sure NOT to live up to his name.
Anyway, to enlarge territory and not cause pain would mean a partnership or taking land without an owner. My thoughts turned to the idea that the territory we seem to have a hard time taking is our hardened hearts. This territory is owned by us and we have a hard time commanding it. The only solution seems to be to give this territory away and form a partnership so that we can gain control of it.
Today, will you give your heart to the Lord and form a partnership with Him over this territory? My hopes are you will gain control by giving it away.
Helping One Another | The Vine Solutions 