I picked up my boys from school this afternoon and on the way home Matthew began to tell me about the plans he was making with his friend. As he was telling me about these plans he stopped and said with a very low and defeated sounding voice “its probably not a good idea though because of school work.”
Now under normal circumstances I would be cheering “That’s my Boy!” but not this time. He was inquiring about his friend spending the night and the day he was planing for was not a school day. I stopped him and said, “you just told me that you didn’t have school.”
How many times in life do we stop short of our dreams are because we are not sure what others will think or if those in positions of authority will agree? How many times do we dismiss a goal as unachievable because we cannot see how it could ever work.
Matthew’s perception was that I would not agree and because of that he stopped short of asking me to grant his request. What he didn’t know was that I thought it was a great idea! I wonder how many times I have stopped short of asking God to grant my dreams, because I didn’t think God would agree, and all the while God was excited and waiting for me to ask.
There is this guy in the Bible named Jabez who had such a different perception of God than all others in his generation and generations before him. Jabez’s understanding of who God was led to a pause in scripture, so that God could make mention of him.
There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. 10 He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request. 1 Chronicles 4:10
Jabez had every right to think that God would not grant his request. His life up to this point had been full of struggles and misery. Even when Jebez would have a good day he was reminded of how miserable his life was.
How do I know this based on this small excerpt from the Bible? Because his name was a constant reminder. The name Jabez meant to grieve. And every time someone called his name it was a reminder as to how bad his life was and how bad he had made his mother’s life.
In some ways we are all like Jabez. There are reasons and excuses that we can make for why our lives are not all that we would hope them to be. There are also reasons that can be made why we don’t think God cares or can do anything about our situation much less grant us the gigantic dreams that we have. Our life experiences may have built this perception of God that stops us short of even asking God to listen to our desires much less grant them.
Jabez however, had a different perception of God that compelled him to ask God. And God answered! Here’s the point, our perception of God directly affects our faith in God.
This Sunday we will begin the first of three weeks called “The God Perception” We are going to lay out a biblical understanding of who God is and what He wants to be in your life. I look forward to seeing Sunday at 10:30AM
Blessings,
Pastor Donald
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