Power of That Name

Key Scripture:  “And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “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!” I Chronicles 4:10

Power Point:

It really is important what name you give to things isn’t it?  Poor Jabez. His name means “he causes pain.”  How AWFUL!  His mother named him that because he caused her pain when he was born. (Some things we just need to "get over"!) Can you imagine living your whole life being reminded and reminding others several times a day that you cause pain?  Good grief!

Jabez had finally had enough.  Scripture tells us “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers.” But the name still stuck. It was a curse placed on him by his own mother. The thing I love about Jabez is that he understood it was a curse and he knew where to go to get it reversed. He marched right up to God and said, “God please bless me. Indeed.  And would You please give me more territory to possess and keep Your hand of blessing on me and by the way could you keep me from evil because I do not want to cause pain! (That’s the Suzanne translation).

Sometimes other people name us things like “unworthy” or “stupid” or “failure”. We need to be sure that we don’t live up to our name. You see, beloved, the whole mission of Jesus was to redeem us from the curse and to release the blessings and the favor of God over us. Maybe you’ve been told you have cancer or an eating disorder or a drug addiction. Those are just names for things that Jesus set you free from on the cross. In fact, God says He gives us a new name. Like Jabez, you do not have to carry the curse of those names forever.

Jesus is the name above all names.  When He died the curse was reversed. He gave us all power and authority to change our name and change our direction. Everywhere He is, His favor and blessing are ready to be poured out on His children.

The word for “blessing” is ‘to cause to prosper, to make happy, to bestow blessings on and favored of God. That’s how God wants us to live doesn’t He? That’s abundance. That’s what Jesus died to give us. That was the plan all along-to give the people that He loved the ability to live blessed not cursed.

I don’t know what your situation is. It may be named “impossible” or “incurable”.  I don’t know what people have named you but I do know you don’t have to live up to that name. You carry the name of Jesus into every second of your life and that Name is above every other power, every other authority or leader or anything else. Now that’s a name you can live up to.

Power Thought:

He loves to bless His children.  Indeed He does.