Today’s devotion comes from 1 Chronicles 4:1-23. Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Chronicles%204&version=NASB1995
I quote only the following verses.
“The sons of Judah were Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur and Shobal. Reaiah the son of Shobal became the father of Jahath, and Jahath became the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the families of the Zorathites. These were the sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma and Idbash; and the name of their sister was Hazzelelponi. Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These were the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem. Ashhur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives, Helah and Naarah. Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. The sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar and Ethnan. Koz became the father of Anub and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum. Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, “Because I bore him with pain.” Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!” And God granted him what he requested.” 1 Chronicles 4:1-10.
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Originally, I planned on only quoting Matthew 7:7-11 to simply encourage us to make requests to God, to simply “Ask, and it will be given to you”. But, I hesitated. I decided to look a little closely at Jabez’ request in today’s Scripture and to include some other Scriptures. We need to be careful that we do not tell everyone that all they need to do is “Name it and claim it.”
In today’s Scripture, we first notice that “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers”, and we can understand that God does not grant everyone’s request. As clearly shown in the concluding Scriptures, there is a sharp contrast between how God treats the righteous compared to how God treats the wicked.
Nor does God even grant every request of His children, His chosen ones, because God knows that some things that His children request are not good for them. Notice the limitation in the following Matthew 7:6-11 Scripture that God gives “good” gifts to His children. Notice the confirmation: “how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:6-11.
Generally, prosperity and peace are good things, and we may request them, and God may often grant them to us. As one of the concluding verse states, “The desire of the righteous is only good”.
But, there may be times when God’s providence for us, the righteous, includes some distress for our good. God may not grant exactly what and when we request prosperity and peace.
“In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;” 1 Peter 1:6-7.
“And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:3-5.
And, let us also consider the following verses.
“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” John 15:16.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6.
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33.
“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32.
“But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:6-8.
Notice the sharp contrast between how God treats the righteous compared to how God treats the wicked.
“16 Better is the little of the righteous
Than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken,
But the LORD sustains the righteous.” Psalm 37:16-17.
“The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous.” Proverbs 3:33.
“The LORD will not allow the righteous to hunger,
But He will reject the craving of the wicked.” Proverbs 10:3.
“The wages of the righteous is life,
The income of the wicked, punishment.” Proverbs 10:16.
“What the wicked fears will come upon him,
But the desire of the righteous will be granted.” Proverbs 10:24.
“The desire of the righteous is only good,
But the expectation of the wicked is wrath.” Proverbs 11:23.
“11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
The LORD gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
12 O LORD of hosts,
How blessed is the man who trusts in You!” Psalm 84:11-12.
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