Saturday Night Musings

   Bruce Wilkerson wrote a book entitled: “The Prayer of Jabez”,  which has sold over 9 million copies!  He says if you pray the prayer that Jabez prayed: And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested., once a day for 30 days many wonderful things will begin to happen to you. Now, I’m not so sure about that as if it is some quick mumbo-jumbo, in God’s face, lottery ticket for prosperity. I believe in prayer,  do I ever believe in prayer, but is it always God will for anyone and everyone to have some magical code to click for your train to come in? This belief must be laid side by side to the passage which says the poor will never depart from the land. The corners of the grain field must be left standing for the strangers and the destitute to reap.  

The prayer of Jabez was mentioned only once in the scriptures (I Chron. 4:9,10), it was never repeated by another in the Bible, no other writer made mention of this prayer, and we never hear of Jabez after his prayer. It seems to me that this prayer has little merit in giving a supernatural formula which anyone can just simply repeat and be assured of answers like God gave to Jabez. Just like Jabez our name has a meaning.

Jabez means: “son of sorrow”. His mother gave him that name during his birth. I like this man—Jabez, he called upon the God of Israel in prayer for a life that would exemplify God’s grace. Ask God to change your name to a new meaning in life like He changed Abram’s name to—Abraham. Abram’s name (exalted father) was changed to Abraham (father of a multitude) when God placed the 5th letter of the Hebrew alphabet “h” in the 5th place of Abram’s name. This gave new meaning—the number 5 is the number of grace. It was through God’s grace that gave us Abraham, the father of our faith! Just like Jabez, has God changed anything about you? 

God loves hearing prayers just like Jabez. Read Jabez prayer carefully—it appears to me that Jabez did not get to finish his prayer as one normally does. He did not get to thank God at the end of his prayer or if his prayer was in God’s will or even to end his prayer…”in Jesus’ name”! (I just added that one!) God interrupted his prayer quickly and gave him his request. Out of all the names mentioned in the genealogies of the Chronicles, only Jabez prayer is cited! Sometimes God chooses to say yes to some and say no to others. Either way God answers prayer in His way and his answers are always the best for us. Paul prayed three times for a thorn to be removed. God chose not to grant his request, but did give him sufficient grace. Do we get what we want or do we get what we need? Just like Jabez, let God do what he wants to do just for you.  

I think too, just like Jabez, he was plain, simple and honest in his prayer. What ever the reasons were for what he was asking for, Jabez was earnest and specific with his request. If we need three loaves of bread because of some unexpected or uninvited guest that shows up at midnight—I believe we can ask God for those needs. God said to Solomon, ask what you want. Since God is who God is, we can ask Him for any thing. Ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking, and knock and keep on knocking.  Be it 30 days, 30 years or until our last breath, God loves the effectual prayer of a righteous man. 

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I remember hearing my Dad and Mother speak of a man who dropped dollars from the sky when times were so bad trying to feed their nine children. He was elected to the presidency of the United States promising and offering A New Deal—a program which many today are reaping after hard years in the work force called Social Security. In his inaugural address, he gave us his signature statement: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”  The world knows him as FDR, or Franklin D. Roosevelt. What few did not know during his presidency was that he was crippled with a paralysis from his waist down.  He did his work from a wheelchair!  

Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper. II Kings 5:1  

One of the most classic stories in the entire Bible is that of Naaman, the leper. He was decorated army hero who struggled with a life-long impaired physical condition. He was a discipline man, but a diseased man, a man with an incurable disease, the disease of leprosy. Leprosy—in the Bible is picture of sin in one’s life; a true picture of having the need of a spiritual healing. Like Naaman how ever known or unknown we might be, we are all sinners; we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God.  

Were it not for someone telling Naaman how to get healing from his leprosy, this great man of courage would have died in and with his terminal condition. A little girl who was taken captive from one of his wars told him about a prophet who could help him. That prophet was Elisha, the man of God who told him to go and wash himself seven times in the Jordan River. After some rash feelings and some corrective encouragement, Naaman followed the preacher’s advice and dipped himself seven times and his leprous flesh became as a little child. Naaman the leper is no longer a leper, but made whole! 

Consider with me a few things about Naaman, the leper and his need. He was Israel’s enemy, the chosen people of God. The Bible says, Even while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. There is neither Jew or Greek, all have sinned and all are in need of God’s so great salvation. We come to Christ by the books we read or the people we meet. God in his mercy will allow his servants to come to you bearing precious seed seeking the lost. Many times a little child will lead us to the truth. I spoke to a man this week and shared with him about Christ suffering on the cross for him, dying for him and being raised from the dead for him. He said to me, who told you about me? I said to him, God orders my steps and my stops, my crossing your path is not a coincidence. It is God seeking the sinner, not the sinner seeking God. You didn’t find Him, He found you and has made Him self known to you. Will you trust him now and believe on Him now as your Savior? Naaman tried to buy his way out of his disease. Next, he wanted to do it his way. It is not of works of righteousness that we have done but by His mercy we are saved. Naaman either had to be persuaded against his will or leave in his same condition still. Naaman made the most important decision in his life—that was to believe the foolishness of preaching and dip himself seven times as the preacher said to him. Naaman was not only clean, but he was changed. If a man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away! 

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And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.  And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of  Egypt.  For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.  And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.  And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom. 

If God were to ask you to ask Him for anything, what would it be?  Would you ask for your greatest need, for your greatest want, or for your greatest desire? Would it be for long life, never ending peace, perfect health, or security for you and your family? Would you ask for all wars and bloodshed to cease, would you ask for the end of poverty, would you ask for all abortions to come to a complete stop, or would you ask for prayer to be reinstated back to our schools? You will not be asking the likes of Mr. Paul Wolfowits—the president of the World Bank, or Mr. Bill Gates—the richest man in all the world.  You will be asking God—the one owns all the banks and all the money in all the banks, the one who has all power to give anything, and the one who knows just what you can dream for or believe to ask. I have two questions: Why would God trust man who is filled with greed with such a question as this? Second, Would you ask for that which pleases Him or that which would please you? 

Solomon, the heir to David’s throne, David’s son is about to become king over a land and people of whom is the number of the sands of the sea shore. A land that has been established under divine order to have an everlasting kingdom. A people who has been shepherded by the likes of Abraham, Moses, Samuel, and his own father, King David. Solomon needs not many things, but one thing, wisdom! Wisdom which is not earthly, but wisdom that is heavenly, from above. Solomon asked for wisdom from God, wisdom to apply good understanding and knowledge. God trusted Solomon to ask for the right thing. For more than 4,000 years we have been students of the wisest man in all the world, reading his 3,000 proverbs, understanding life’s perspective from God’s point of view, and applying heavenly wisdom in a very complex and troublesome world. He being dead yet speaks to us—are we listening? His request pleased God and has blessed us. 

Have you ever had to hold a baby in one hand and sword in the other in order to know the wisdom of God? Has there ever been a time when life for others hangs in the balances which you hold and what you do will cause heartache for lives for the rest of their lives. There are times you have to experience the wisdom from the wisest man in the entire world when facing who or what you are to believe. Wisdom from God will seem unrealistic to some, it is foolishness to others, but to we who believe it is the power of God unto salvation.  Jesus is this wisdom; he has come in the volume of the book written of him. He is the truth of God which will expose all that is error and will set the captive free. A greater than Solomon is here, Jesus Christ the wisdom of God, the wisest man in the entire world! 

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One of the most prominent figurers in the Bible is that of Judas Iscariot—the disciple who betrayed our Lord for 30 pieces of silver. One who walked with the living Christ during the course of His ministry, one who was trusted as a financial officer for the group, one who witnessed unparallel miracles of divine power, and one who heard the voice of God speak through His only begotten Son. This Judas Iscariot willfully forfeited the apex of any calling, driven by the love of money, empowered by a satanic nature was found mangled and ripped apart on a pile of rocks known as the potter’s field. It was the burial place for the indigent and the “John Do’s” of that day. Judas having hung himself; he went to his own place with utter remorse for the reward of his iniquity in the field of blood. What a legacy to leave! 

The Bible says this was the fulfillment of scripture. There is a divine design for this world, like a story book written by an author who knows the beginning and the ending all at the same time. The Judas’ of his day and ours when confronted the unfolding plan of God will either accept all that He is doing or completely reject it. God’s agenda was that the Lamb of God would suffer and die on a tree for the sin of the world. There were those then as well as today who will value this Christ as being insignificant to their needs in this life or the life to come. When time changes into eternity, all will experience the reward of one’s iniquity or rejoice in the great reward in heaven.  

Judas sinned against innocent blood and reaped a field of blood. He was rewarded accordingly—the wages of sin is death! The Bible says, whosoever will may come. Anyone can come to Christ no matter how great the sin. The rich man who fared sumptuously every day as well as the thief on the cross made poor decisions and both went to hell. Choose you this day whom you will serve, now is the accepted time, repent of your sin and call upon the name of the Lord while he may be found. Search the Holy Scriptures, ask God for wisdom, seek God’s men for counsel and do the right thing. There is a slippery slope on a wide and broad road that leads to hell, change your mind that leads to true repentance and do it now. 

The Bible says that when Judas hung himself that he went down headlong bursting asunder in the field of blood. Men usually die like they believe. They that believe wrong will most likely die wrong. Those like Ahab, Jezebel, Absalom, Ananias, Herod, and Saddam Hussein—all died in vain without any hope. They have no use for Christ, no use for the church, no use for Christians, and no use for the Bible. Remember, God is not mocked; there is a pay day someday! 

He that was numbered with those in a ministry that would later turn the world upside down is now remembered by the world as the one who traded Christ for the price of a common slave. He traded his place for a place where men fear to tread. Now another has taken that sublime position and doing what Judas could have been doing. He lost his crown and his soul to the craving desires of the flesh and the lust of his eyes.  

As you think of the tree that once held Judas, remember the tree that once held Jesus. Remember the cross did not hold him by the nails in his hands but by the love he had for you and me. It was for his price the potter’s field was purchased for unwanted travelers.  

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