Keep me from Anything Evil

It’s been said that hurting people hurt others…and that’s how pain passes on from generation to generation. Employee to boss. Co-worker to co-worker. Husband to wife. Neighbor to neighbor. Friend to friend.

There was a man named Jabez, whose mother named him Jabez… because his birth was so painful. The mother out of her pain named her own child Jabez as a reminder of what she had to endure during her childbirth.

Mama Jabez, what were you thinking? For at least three scores and ten this innocent child would have had to live with his name.

Sometimes, as parents we must pause and reflect on what are we passing on to our children? Hurting people hurt others? Your mother hurts you, you hurt the child, the child hurts others, and the cycle continues on to the next victim leaving a trail of pain.

But…thank God for our ‘buts’…the Bible says, ‘But Jabez prayed to the God of Israel, be near to me and don’t let anyone hurt me! Then I would not have any pain.” And “God gave Jabez what he asked for.”

So is it possible to break the cycle of hurting people hurting others? Most definitely – Jabez knew what he wanted and prayed about it. And God granted his request.

Praying bold prayers shows that you believe in the sovereignty of God. As the saying goes, “The buck stops here.” In the past we could spread the pain, but now the buck stops here. God can turn our pain into purpose.

God is interested in every detail of our lives. He knows our hurts, He feels our pain, and He’s waiting to grant us our requests.

Why would anyone think about holding someone hostage because of past pain or a longtime grudge?

Just when it looks like things are falling apart, God is waiting to step in and put things back together. He makes a way and the pain we feel today…we will feel it no more. God grants each one of us our requests.

I smile because each and every day I must give my pain to God. We don’t have to be exhausted from trying to feel stronger each and every day. Just pray about it and God will grant you your request.