1 CHRONICLES MOMENT – (01MAY19) There was a man from the clan of Judah who lived
upright in the sight of God. He had other brothers who were a part of his
family, but God considered him as being more righteous than they were. During biblical
times, a man was known to live out the name that he had been given. So, due to
the fact that his mother named him “Jabez” which meant “she bore him in pain,” he
would have had a lifetime of grief and misery. Nevertheless, Jabez did not want
to live up to his name. He knew that this name would forever brand him. Yet,
there was Someone who could cancel the contract attached to his name. He called
out to the One who could change his circumstances.
“Oh
Lord, if only You would bless me. Please increase my territory; place Your hand
of protection over me and keep me from harm.” Jabez prayed this sincere prayer
to God and his request was granted. He was a normal man with an unusual request
due to being named something that he had no control over. Yet, he had faith in
God that despite what his family called him, God had the final say.
Have you
been named, marked or branded by anyone? Have you had generational curses that
have continued down your family for centuries?
Have you been the victim of abuse, rather physical and/or emotional, which
distorted your view of yourself? Know this…God knew you before you were ever
born, and He is the One who knitted you together in your mother’s womb. He did
not base His love for you on what others think or say. He determined that He
loved you from the beginning of time before you were ever born. Do not allow
the negativity of others to determine who you are in Christ. Jabez did not want
to live up to his name and God, in so many words, changed His name and declared
that He was a Child of the King. God blessed him despite the name that his
mother had given to him at birth due to her own pain. God will do the same for
you. Your past does not have to represent your future, and your future does not
have to relive the past. God knows you by name and the name that He has given
you is…Child of the Most High God. Something to ponder…
QUESTION OF
THE DAY – (01MAY19) In 1 Chronicles, we see how God fulfilled His promise to
Abraham when He told him that he would be the father of many nations. God never
stopped fulfilling that promise to Abraham long after he had died. Has God made
a promise to you? Are you still waiting for it to be fulfilled? God is not a God
that will forget, nor does He lie. God continued to be faithful to Abraham as well
as David by leaving a descendant of his on the throne. The only thing is that
when we are disobedient to God, we can forfeit or delay our blessings. Yet, God
is a God who is faithful to all who are faithful to Him. His Word remains true
forever. Do you believe in Him? Do you trust that all that God has spoken over
you will come to pass? Don’t forfeit your blessings due to disobedience. Trust
in God and He will never let you down. Something to ponder…
1 CHRONICLES
MOMENT – (01MAY19) Reuben was the firstborn of Jacob’s children. Unfortunately,
he did not honor his father and slept with one of his father’s concubines, Bilhah,
who had borne Jacob children. Reuben thought that he was entitled and felt that
since he was the firstborn son, he could collect on some of his inheritance early,
but this was not the case. Reuben disrespected his father and later, when God
gave ordinances as to how the Israelites were to live, He included that sons
were not to sleep with their father’s wives. Therefore, Reuben’s birthright as
the firstborn was taken away from him and given to Joseph and his sons.
Sometimes we
can mess up our blessings by doing something evil. When God give us a blessing,
we are to be grateful for what He has done. We are not to take it for granted
that He has given us favor. Yet, there is another lesson that can be learned in
this story that may be missed. Joseph had gone through a lot of hardship and
his brothers had done him wrong, but God had not forgotten his troubles. God
blessed Joseph to get more than he had lost, which included the birthright for
him and his sons.
You may have
gone through many challenges in life, but God has not forgotten you. He allows
us to go through things to bring us to the place that He would have us. If it
had not been for Joseph being mistreated by his brothers, Joseph would have
never been in position to govern Egypt and to help them as well as his family
through the famine. Your challenges are not wasted time, but they are there to
prune you into the usable vessel that God would have you to be. Something to
ponder…
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