“His mother called his name Jabez, saying, ‘Because I bore him in pain.’” 1 Chronicles 4:9 NKJV

The name Jabez means “pain and trouble.” Perhaps that’s why no other parent in scripture gave their child that name. But it’s a label he refused to wear and a name he refused to be defined by. A label usually tells you what is in a bottle: its contents and even its value. And when you accept the labels people try to put on you, you start to believe that’s who you really are and that you will never become anything more than that. The Bible says, “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). People will use past experiences to label and limit you. They will also use your physical, mental, and emotional characteristics to label and limit you. What should you do? Do what Jabez did – go to God! In the final analysis, His opinion about your past, present, and future is the one that matters most. Plus, He loves you and has a plan for your life. Jabez prayed a prayer that changed his life, and it will change your life too. “‘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 NKJV). Jabez asked God for four things: blessing, influence, power, and protection. And God gave them to him. So today you have a choice: believe what others say about you or believe what God says about you. When you look at it that way, the choice is clear.

The Word for You Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from Celebration Enterprises, Inc. Copyright © 2024