Title: Reverse the Curse/Topic: Identity

Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 14; 1 Chronicles 4; 2 Corinthians 13

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 4:9,10
9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, [c] saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." 10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.

Observation: The mother of Jabez had given him a life-long negative label by naming him “pain”. How often do parents, either inadvertently or on purpose, put negative labels on their kids that form their identity in a negative way! It is difficult to overcome those messages that we are given in childhood. They often hamstring us from reaching our potential in adulthood. Jabez does exactly the right thing. He prays to the Lord to be free fro his label of being a person of pain. And God granted his request. I love that! God always wants to set us free from the things that hinder us from functioning in his image.

Application: I can so relate to Jabez. I had a lot of “curses” put on me as a child that I have struggled with as an adult. I need to reverse the curse by asking and receiving God's deliverance. It's much better and more effective than years of psychotherapy.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for being one who is our deliverer in every way. You have set me free from much of the negative labeling I received in my childhood but I still have more. Sometimes it takes me awhile to even recognize it because it is such a part of me. Show me all of my garbage that I may bring it to you for a holy clean-up. Rid me of all of the self-destructive thoughts that I have about myself.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.