Lay It Down And "Leave It There!"

Lay it Down, And Leave it There!

1st Chronicles 4:5-8 NKJ

5. And Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.

6. Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah.

7. The sons of Helah were Zereth, Zohar, and Ethnan;

8. and Koz begot Anub, Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.

The world is full of people just like the ones that we just read about.

Oh they were probably good people, up standing citizens,

However, we probably would never even have read their names, if it hadn’t been for Jabez and his memorable prayer.

Those names have been all but forgotten, not because they weren’t good people,

But because they never did anything memorable with their lives for the Lord.

However he was different, he was willing to lay it down, leave it there and trust God,

no matter what the outcome, he knew he could trust God with the results.

Lay what down, you may be wondering?

Everything he had;

*all his hopes

*all his desires

*all his dreams and ambitions

*everything he possessed, everything he ever hoped to be, he placed in the hands of God

Vs. 9. Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.”

TBS. he was more honorable than his bros. quite a statement, God had penned about Jabez.

For all that matter, he was more honorable than a lot of the names mentioned in the first 9 chapters of Chronicles.

And we’re talking about names like Abraham, Jesse and David!

Because he did something that was worth remembering, something so amazing that God called him more honorable.

Vs. 10. 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!” So God granted him what he requested.

What he did, was put his total trust in God’s capabilities.

You see, so many today, are willing to only rely on self effort and that alone, to get them where they want to go in life.

And the sad thing is, they always think self effort will get them there, but they never get there!

Even when they have been unsuccessful at doing it for a lifetime,

Even when they know the outcome, before the end result

they still think they can do a better job, than God can!

They’re so busy, focused on what they can’t do, over and over

instead of what God can do, if they would only give Him the opportunity.

However long Jabez waited to call on God, Whether it was 5 minutes, or 5 yrs.

Before he realized he would never, be able to achieve his dreams and ambitions on his own, was too long.

But the moment he did and the moment he sought God,

God heard his prayer and God responded to his faith.

And He will do the same thing for whoever calls out to Him in faith and believes, Praise God?

However long anyone waits to call on God, is always to long, but never to late to start!

Matt. 9:20-22 MSG.

20-22. Just then a woman who had hemorrhaged for twelve years slipped in from behind and lightly touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, "If I can just put a finger on his robe, I’ll get well." Jesus turned—caught her at it. Then he reassured her: "Courage, daughter. You took a risk of faith, and now you’re well." The woman was well from then on.

Now did Jesus heal her when she was just thinking to herself about touching His robe,

Cause believe me, I’m sure she had thought about being healed and set free from her affliction for 12 long years,

or did He heal her, she released her faith and reached out to Jesus capabilities, instead of her own.

12 long agonizing yrs., 4,380 days of maybe I‘ll find an answer or solution tomorrow,

Why had she waited so long? Why does anyone wait so long to turn to God?

Because TBS. the very moment she did that, the very moment she changed her thinking from her capabilities to His, she was made whole!

We can’t, but GOD CAN! Praise God!!

We can’t, but GOD CAN! Praise God!!

To many focus on their circumstances, instead of the one who can change their situation! Amen? (repeat again)

I was reading Max Lucado the other day and his article was about David.

He had just left his sheparding responsibilities and went to take his brothers something to eat on the battlefield.

That’s where David hears Goliath defying God,