The “truth” he shouldn’t have lived by…..

Jabez was honorable above his brothers; but his mother

named him Jabez [sorrow maker], saying, because I

bore him in pain.

 

Jabez cried to the God of Israel, saying, Oh, that You

would bless me and enlarge my border, and that Your

hand might be with me, and  You would keep me from

evil so it might not hurt me!

And God granted his request.

2 Chronicles 4:9, 10

 

This is a very well known story. Jabez life was not going

well. Nothing seemed be going well for him.

The bible tells us, “Jabez was honorable above his brothers,

but his mother named him Jabez [sorrow maker]”

As he grew up those words became a part of him. Every where

he went those words were being reinforced!

 

But this is the thing, his mother called him “Sorrow Maker”

because SHE had a painful experience!

It’s crazy to think how her experience shaped the life of her

son.

It’s sad because her truth was not Jabez’s truth. God did

not create Jabez to be a sorrow maker. That was not what

God had in mind when He made him.

 

Like Jabez, we have believed other people’s “truth”.

Just remember, thier truth no matter who they are

is their truth. It becomes your truth when you accept it.

For a season, “sorrow maker” was the truth Jabez lived

by. For a season he allowed his mother’s words to shape

him and define him.

 

What about you my friends? What “truths” have you

allowed into your lives?

For a long time I lived by other people’s truth’s. They

saw me a certain way and imposed what they saw.

But God showed me how to live by His truth! Taking advise

is okay, accepting correction is okay but I am constantly

reviewing what other people are trying to impose on me.

I want to live by God’s truth and not man’s.

The problem with living another person’s “truth” I found

is this, their truth always falls short of God’s truth. Their

“truth” always puts me in a box. It creates a very small

world to live in when God’s world is so much bigger and greater

than I can ever imagine!

Encouraging words from friends I accept, words that build

I accept, words that inspire  me to be all that I am I accept

because that’s all in line with God’s truth. If it doesn’t

match up to His truth I probably won’t listen to it.

 

God wants us to break free of the negative words people

have spoken over our lives. We have to make a decision

to live by the real truth.

I am not saying stop listening to everyone. Instead I am

saying be more careful what you listen to. If it contradicts

what God has put in your heart then say no. Don’t just accept

anything anyone says.

 

Let’s get back to Jabez.

God’s plan for Jabez was to always bless, protect, and enlarge.

And when he realised what was happening he cried out to

God for help. And guess what, God granted his request!

Jabez was tired of living the way he was living. He wasn’t

happy with his circumstances. He didn’t want things to

remain the same any longer.

 

There was a time Jabez’s name was associated with sorrow but

God changed that and now it is associated with blessing!

What the enemy meant for harm God turned for good….

And He will do the same thing for you if you cry out to

Him.

So whose “truth” will you live your life by?

 

God bless you friends!!

 

Rolain

 

photo credit: google images

 

 

 

 

For His glory…..

“Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind

from birth.

And His disciples asked Him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned,

this man or his parents, that he was born blind?

 

Jesus answered, Neither this man nor his parents sinned,

but that the works of God should be revealed in him.

John 9:1-3

 

Isn’t it interesting how the disciples immedaitely pointed

to sin as the reason for the man being in the situation he was

in. Even Job had the same problem. His friends thought sin

was behind all the misfortune that befell him but that was

not the truth. It wasn’t true for Job, for the blind man and

it’s not true for you!

 

Jesus answered, neither this man nor his parents sinned, but

that the works of God should be revealed in Him.

John 9:3

 

I had a thought, maybe you haven’t received your

breakthrough because God wants to reveal His glory

and greatness through your situation!

 

Please get me here, I am not saying we must cross out

ourselves out as the problem. We could be the problem

to a lot of the problems we are facing. But what I am trying

to say is that there are things that are happening or

not happening because God wants to reveal His goodness

and glory in HIS time!

When the blind man received his sight that was a testimony

of how great God is but it happened at the right time.

When Job got his life back God got the glory even though

it didn’t make sense in the beginning. He didn’t

understand why the things that were happening were

happening. But God knew!

 

The problem comes when we look at how other people

are living and we begin to compare our lives to theirs.

Your life is in God’s hands and He is directing it. He has

a plan for you and it will come to pass.

Always remember, He wants to reveal His goodness and

greatness through you.

 

Hannah was in the same situation. She was barren but

wanted children. She could have wondered why that was

so. Did she think God favored Peninnah over her? Maybe.

Whatever the case, she was not in a good place. But God had

a plan. He would reveal His wonderful acts through Hannah!

Peninnah could bear children but Hannah bore Samuel!

It was worth the wait…..

 

I have to constantly remind myself that God has a plan

for me. He has not forgotten about me. Even if it seems

like it. My friends have moved on with thier lives. They

have families of their own, and so on and here I still am

waiting on God. But I am not upset. He has a plan.

His goodness and greatness will be manifested through

me I believe. I may not understand why some things

are the way they are but I trust God does…..and that’s

all that matters!

 

Don’t be discouraged friends. He will come through for you.

He will be magnified though your life. People won’t help

but praise God because of the things that are happening

in your life. He is so good!

 

Rolain

 

 

Can God still use me??

 

Ever wonder if you can still be used by God? Well, a friend

sent me a poem that encouraged me so much regarding this

very thing. We can still be used by God, friends.

In fact, He is using us as long as we are open hearted and willing

to be used.

 

A USEFUL AND BETTER TOOL

 

If you want to be like those of old,

Who were sent to win the world,

Here’s the secret of their precious lives:

 

They held still enough, so Jesus’ words could be poured into them.

They were weak enough, so that His light could shine through them.

And yet strong enough, so they could be used by Him.

Dependant enough on Him to pull them through.

And willing enough just to be His vessels and His tools.

 

Their torch has now passed onto you.

God’s purpose must be fulfilled.

If you are wondering what to do

and how best you can do His will?

The secret is still the same.

Close to Him you must remain.

And this is all that you must do.

 

Hold still enough, so Jesus love can be poured into you.

Be weak enough so that His light can shine through you.

Yet be strong enough so that He can use you

and dependent on Him to pull you through.

And that’s how He’ll make of you a better tool.

– author unknown

 

Blessings to you friends!!

 

Rolain

The desire of her heart……

I hope I find you all well. There is something on my heart

I would like to talk about. That something is the deep desires

God has put in our hearts. We all have desires, things we really

want.

I believe we all have desires from God. There are some very

specific things He has put into our hearts which He wants

to bring to pass in our lives. They are real and not a figment

of our imagination.

 

I know I have deep desires in my heart. I may not be able

to articulate them but they are real. I can feel them!

The thing though is as the years have passed, something has

happened, life! A lot of life has happened and life at times

made me doubt the desires God put in my heart.

To this day there are people who keep telling me to abandon

the desires God has put in my heart. “That doesn’t make

sense” they tell me.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Why are you making things difficult for yourself”

 

Then there is dissapoinment. How much dissapoinment can a

person take? There have been desires that have not come

to pass. That has been confusing to say the least. Why

have a desire when it won’t come to pass??? It’s almost cruel.

 

But as time has passed I have grown in my relationship with God.

I understand He created me and I am unique.

I am not some object you can understand by

reading a manual! God designed me and He is the only

One who really knows me, He is the only One who really knows

the desires He has put in me and what I need to do is understand

He knows what He is doing. He will bring to pass the desires

He has put in my heart. If a desire has not come to pass, then

there is a reason. That goes for you too. You life is unique.

Your life is not a book someone reads and is done with in an hour!

Your desires are not one dimensional. There is so much more than

meets the eye.

It’s much more complex than that if you understand what I

mean!!

 

I want to show you a scripture that stood out for me that will

help paint a picture of what I am trying to say.

 

“And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite.

When he had called her she stood before him. “

2 Kings 4: 12

 

There was a woman who would feed Elisha everytime he passed

by her house. She and her husband made him  a small chamber

so he could rest as he travelled. Elisha wanted to return her

kindness so he called her to ask what he could do

for her.

 

“And he said to Gehazi, Say now to her, You have been most

painstakingly and reverently concerned for us; what is to be

done for you? Would you like to be spoken for to the king or

to the commander of the army? She answered, I dwell among

my own people [they are sufficent]. “

2 Kings 4:13

 

In other words, she was okay and needed

nothing. But Elisha was not satisfied with her answer. So

he probed deeper and found out she had no child.

 

“Later Elisha said, What then is to be done for her?

Gehazi answered, She has no child and her husband is old. “

2 Kings 4:14

 

I really believe the woman wanted a child but couldn’t have

one. I also believe Gehazi was the one who spoke more

frequently to the woman and the husband. He was not

saying she had no child as a mere observation but I believe

she had tried and couldn’t have. It was a deep desire she

had which didn’t seem to come to pass. She had buried

it so deep that when asked what she wanted, it didn’t even

register. It must of been painful discovering she couldn’t

have children. So she did what most us do, she buried it deep

never to be unearthed.

I could be way off with that theory but bear me a little longer

as I show you why I think that was so.

Look at her response when Elisha told her she would have a

child,

 

“Elisha said, At this season when the time comes round, you

shall embrace a son.

She said, No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie to your

handmaid. 

But the woman conceived and bore a son at that season the

following year, as Elisha had said to her. “

2 Kings 4:16

 

If she had no desire at all and never thought about having

a child then the word spoken by the man of God would of been

good news! Instead, she reacted differently. It was like she

was saying, “don’t awaken hope again! I believed once but it

didn’t happen so please don’t lie to me. Just leave it alone. I ‘am

okay as I am. I don’t want my heart to be broken again.”

 

God granted the woman her deepest desire. That desire

she had buried deep. That desire that caused her pain.

He brought that desire to pass. That really encouraged me.

He will bring to pass the desires He puts in us.

If it hasn’t come to pass, He has a reason.

Trust God with the desires He has given you. He can be

trusted!!!

Blessings to you all……

 

Rolain