More Than Your Mother Made You

by Pastor Andrew Wolfenbarger09/26/2023

1 Chronicles 4:10 - “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.”

It can not be overstated the significance of the role that a mother plays in her child's life. From a very early age, a mother imprints herself upon her child, so what is done in that child's formative years will either be a building block or a stumbling stone for the rest of his days. Sadly, too many children have their futures damaged or altogether destroyed by their mothers' failure in these important years.

Not much is known about this man named Jabez. From his name, which means "sorrow-maker," many have assumed that his birth was a difficult one. Names in Biblical times had significance because often they marked a man's past and foreshadowed his future. Think of a man like Moses. His name means "drawn out," which reminds us of the day that Pharaoh's daughter drew him out of the water. Additionally, his ultimate destiny was to draw God's people out of Egypt's bondage. Or Jacob, whose name means "suplanter" because of his many deceptive acts, but God would later change his name to Israel, which means "to contend with God." Ironically though, Jacob got the name from wrestling with God in a physical altercation, his descendants have become infamous for their frequent resistance to God's ways. The same might have been the case with Jabez. His life began causing his mother great sorrow, and it likely could have been destined to do the same thing.

Proverbs 10:1 - “A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.”

What rerouted his life and made him an honorable man so that his name is mentioned among these in the line of the great Kings of Judah?
1. A dependence upon God
- "And Jabez called on the God of Israel"

2. A heart for growth
- "Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast"

3. A willingness to be guided
- "and that thine hand might be with me"

4. An expectation of adversity
- "and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!"

5. An attentive God
- "And God granted him that which he requested."

Jabez's story might have been one of calamity and disaster had God not interrupted the narrative. All it took was for a man to humble himself and realize that if things were going to change for the better, only the Lord could do it.

Whatever the direction your story is heading right now, God only makes it better. He brings order, peace, and purpose to life, all of which tear through the chaos that life so often throws at us. The only way to ensure that your story ends with a happily ever after is to make sure that God is the focus of your final chapter. If you let Him begin to start today, you'll find that your life is destined to be much more than your momma made you to be.

Recent

Archive

 2023

Categories

Tags

1 Chronicles 21 1 Chronicles 4 1 Corinthians 15 1 Corinthians 1 1 John 1 1 John 2 1 John 3 1 Kings 11 1 Kings 17 1 Kings 19 1 Samuel 18 1 Samuel 3 1 Thessalonians 4 1 Timothy 4 2 Chronicles 18 2 Chronicles 20 2 Chronicles 2 2 Chronicles 34 2 Corinthians 12 2 Corinthians 13 2 Corinthians 4 2 Corinthians 7 2 Kings 5 2 Kings 6 2 Samuel 24 2 Timothy 1 2 Timothy 2 2 Timothy 3 2 Timothy 4 2 corinthians 5 Abel Acts 11 Acts 17 Acts 3 Arise Author Banner Battle Bearing Belief Bible Blessing Burdens Burn-out Chaos Choices Christian Christ Church Colossians 1 Colossians 3 Come Consequence Continue Courage Creation Cross Darkness David Day Decisions Deurteronomy 3 Deuteronomy 11 Deuteronomy 28 Deuteronomy 31 Deuteronomy 6 Difference Dine Divine Ecclesiastes 1 Elijah Ending Enoch Ephesians 2 Ephesians 3 Ephesians 4 Ephesians 5 Ephesians 6 Examine Exodus 3 Exodus 4 Ezekiel 11 Ezekiel 33 Ezekiel 3 Ezekiel 8 Ezra 7 Ezra 8 Fathers Father Fear Finisher Flag Free Fruit of the Spirit Fulfilled Future Galatians 1 Galatians 6 Genesis 17 Genesis 1 Genesis 25 Genesis 37 Genesis 39 Genesis 3 Genesis 40 Genesis 50 Gift Glory God's Word God's will God\'s Word God\'s will God Gospel Go Grace Guide Habakkuk 3 Habit Hard Hebrews 10 Hebrews 11 Hebrews 12 Hebrews 5 Hebrews 7 Hebrews Help Holy Spirit Impossible Infinite Isaiah 26 Isaiah 37 Isaiah 43 Isaiah 55 James 3 James 4 James 5 Jeremiah 10 Jesus Job 29 Job 3 John 12 John 13 John 15 John 19 John 20 John 21 John 3 John 4 John 6 John 7 John 8 Joseph Joshua 1 Journey Jude 21 Jude 22 Judges 6 Judges King Leadership Leads Looking Lord Luke 15 Luke 19 Luke 1 Luke 2 Luke 6 Luke 9 Man Mark 16 Mark 1 Mark 9 Matthew 11 Matthew 14 Matthew 18 Matthew 4 Matthew 6 Matthew 9 Message Mind Mother Mouth Noah Now Numbers 35 Opinions Opportunity Past Pattern Peter Philemon 1 Philippians 1 Philippians 3 Philippians 4 Possible Prayer Preach Prepare Preservation Priest Productive Prophecy Proverbs 11 Proverbs 14 Proverbs 17 Proverbs 25 Proverbs 27 Proverbs 2 Proverbs 3 Proverbs 4 Psalm 101 Psalm 105 Psalm 12 Psalm 139 Psalm 16 Psalm 32 Psalm 34 Psalm 37 Psalm 42 Psalm 48 Psalm 50 Psalm 51 Psalm 55 Psalm 5 Psalm 95 Psalm Purity Reading Refuge Rest Return Revelation 1 Romans 13 Romans 5 Romans 6 Romans 7 Ruth 1 Ruth 2 Salvation Savior Scripture Shine Sinner Solomon Song of Solomon 2 Sovereign Spiritual Spirit Story Strength Struggles Study Temptation Threat Transformation Travel Trinity Void Walk Wilderness Will Wisdom Witness Word of God Word ability able accomplished accountable action active act afflictions age all alone amazement anticipation anxiety anxious apart armory army arrested assurance attendance attendence attention attitude backslider barnabas beauty behavior believers believe belong blasphemous blessed blessings body book boy bread bretheren called calm carnal cast challenge change character cheerfully children choice circumstances cleanse clean close colossians 1 comfort coming commandments command community comparison compassion complete conduct conflict conquered consequences contentment control conversation convictions correction counsel countenance critic crucifixion crumbs daily life death decrease deliverance dependence depression desire destruction devotions devotion difficulties direction direct discipline discouragement distance doctrine doing draw nigh dwell eat edification empower encouraged encouragement enemy enough eternal everything exaltation example excitement excuses exhortation existence experience faint faithfulness faithful faith false worship family favor feast fellowship fight fire first flame focus fog follow foolishness fool forget forgiveness forgivess forgive forward freedom fret friend fulfillment fullness fulness glorify goal godly goodness grandfather growth grow guards guidance hands hardened harvest healthy heart hear heaven hide history homes home honesty hope humility hunger hungry hurting hurt hypocrisy illumination important increase ineffective infection influence insight inspiration instruction instuments intercession invitation involved inward isolation job joy judgement kindness knowledge labor labourers labour laughter leader leading learning lifestyle life light limitations liquor listen live lost love luxury lying mark meaning meat mediator meditation mercy midst milk minds ministry mission mistakes mist moment morning motivation mountain moving need nourishment obedience obedient obey offering old others overcome overseer pain parents participation passion path patience peace people personal perspective persuaded plan pleased please positivity potential power praise preaching preeminence preparation presence pressure pride priesthood priorities prisoner prison private problem prodigal profitable promise promis promotion protection provide provision proximity pure purpose pursuit rapture reach ready reality real reason rebuke receive redemption refine rejection rejoice relationship relax renewed renew repentance request resident resist responsibility restored restore righteous room ruler safe sanctified satisfaction satisfy say schedule scraps seat seek selfish self separation sermon servant serve service share shield shout sickness sincerity sin slavery soldier somebody son sorrow soul-winning soul speaking speak spirit filled spouse spritirual standard steps stewardship steward storm stress struggle submission success suffering sufficient supplication supply supreme surrendered sustinance task taste teaching team temple testimony test thankful thirst thoughts time timing tomorrow tongue treasures trials trial troubles trouble trumpet trust truth turn twinkling unaware ungodliness urgency valley value vessels victory warfare warning watchful ways way weakness wealth weary wise with us words work world worry worship yield yoke youth