#7, Jabez and War

I haven't written a ton about debt-reduction recently.  We are still trying and doing what we can.  It can be discouraging though as the journey is slower and longer than I would like.  However, even if I feel discouraged, God knows, and He reminds me through His Word that it is His war.

I've been reading through the Old Testament still and am currently in 1Chronicles.  This book is not one of those books that you can get into very easily.  It begins with lists and lists of genealogies that do not strike you as particularly interesting or meaningful.  but I did want to share a few different passages that really stood out, that have encouraged me in the debt-reduction plan and even with my own children, all from the not-so-interesting book of Chronicles.

First, from the genealogy of King David.  I found out, or had forgotten, that he was the 7th child.  It jumped off the page at me - #7.  I have a number seven child.  I love him to bits, but he has been a bit more of a challenge at times.  He is bursting with life....and mischief.  Yesterday, he woke up, skipped breakfast, ran outside and was at the top of a tree and it was barely 8 am.  I was grateful in that moment that we had a tree for him to climb!    Then, a few minutes later, I found him using my older son's exacto knife, trying to cut an avocado seed into a new shape.  He could have lost a finger!!!  I try to follow him around the house so that I can anticipate what trouble he's going to get into before he gets into it, but I get so distracted by laundry or dishes or some other crying child and then.....'Mooooommmmmm!!!"  His energy is hard to contain.  His antics are remarkable.  His cute, curly blonde hair, his tiny little freckles on his nose, his 3 missing teeth on the bottom row....all help to keep us in love with him, when we don't want to throw him out a window!  When I read that David was the 7th, I thought to myself, "That's it!  I have a King David on my hands!"  I was so grateful to read that 7th children (or really any number, I'm sure....) can and will still turn out to be godly men and women (take hope KK! :) ) All that from a verse that simply read, "...David the seventh..." (1 Chron. 2:15)  So I will keep him, knowing I might just be raising a king.

1Chronicles also records the famous prayer of Jabez.  People say is it prosperity gospel, at least that's how it was criticized when a little book was written on the prayer by that title.  However, it is still included in the Bible for a reason, so I have found myself still praying the prayer again as I just read it this past week and it pretty much sums up the things that are on my mind,

"Jabez called upon the God Israel, saying, 'Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!'  And God granted what he asked." (1 Chron. 4:10)

I do want God's blessing.  I do ask that He would enlarge our borders, with respect to using our family, my husband's business, ultimately enlarging our family with godly spouses and grandchildren.  I know God doesn't always keep us from harm.  He allows it sometimes, but I pray that He would keep me from any attacks from the enemy that would try to harm us.  And, quite frankly, I would love to avoid pain!  But, that is simply not possible sometimes, so I accept what He will bring my way, that is part of His plan for my life.  I really only want His will.  We know of a family that has gone through tremendous pain recently.  Their son was run over by a lawn mower and was nearly killed.  While they were in the hospital, their 2 ATVs were stolen from their shed....how awful is that?!  They were not kept from harm or pain.  It seems hard to imagine that this was part of God's will for their lives, but as Christians, from what I've heard, they are experiencing God in a deeper way through this experience.  But perhaps this is how God is enlarging their borders as so many people around the world are praying for this very injured boy.  They are making connections, I'm sure, that they never thought or hoped they would make.  God will bring glory to His name somehow through this experience.

Then, finally, in chapter 5 the descendants of Gad are recorded,

"The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manessah had valiant men who carried shield and sword, and drew the bow, expert in war, 44, 760, able to go to war.  They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab.  And when they prevailed over them, the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hands, for they cried out to God in the battle, and He granted their urgent plea because they trusted in Him.  They carried off their livestock:  50,000 of their camels, 250,000 sheep, 2, 000 donkeys, and 100,000 men alive.  For many fell, because the war was of God.  And they lived in their place until the exile."  1 Chron. 5:18-22)

This was a group of valiant men.  I sat with the kids yesterday morning and we talked about our valiant men, our valiant Dad.  It described the men as able to carry a shield, a sword and able to draw a bow.  I asked them what that would look like in our family, "Is Daddy able to carry a shield, sword, and draw a bow?"  Well, ironically, he is able to!  In fact, he got injured drawing a bow!!!  We actually have swords on our boys' walls!  But that is not necessarily what I meant!  Can our Dad multi-task?!  Yes.  Can he handle different types of attacks?  There are some that require a shield, where he is defending himself (let's say from a bank!).  Then there are other times that he needs to go on the offense with a sword, meeting a new customer, being brave to attack a new area of business, drawing a bow.  The kids were all definitely confident their Dad was a valiant warrior, an expert in war.  Though he is inching towards senior citizenship (no joke...next month he's old enough to be in the "Young at Heart" group in our church!!!  I tease him about that all the time now as I'm soooooo far from that......ha.), however, he is still "able to go to war".  Yes, he's often in pain now from the physical labour he does on the farm or with his business, but God hasn't shut him down entirely yet. 

Then, a description about who the war was against.  I asked the kids who are we at war with.  My one son said it immediately, "The bank."  He knows.  We are at war with debt.  But the Israelites knew who was on their side and it says, "And when they prevailed over them, the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hands, for they CRIED OUT to GOD IN THE BATTLE, and He granted their URGENT plea BECAUSE THEY TRUSTED IN HIM."

It was a great reminder to us that the reason the Israelites prevailed was because they cried out to God in the midst of the battle.  They trusted in Him.  The Bible doesn't record that itwas a short little prayer.  It says, "urgent plea"!!!  So, we did that again.  We cried out that He would help us against our enemy of debt.  He granted their request and we pray that He will grant our request because we do trust in Him.

After they won the battle, they carried off their livestock.  It records exactly, with numbers, what they took home.  I read that with different eyes....knocking off each and every debt, with specific numbers in mind.  I really loved the fact numbers were included as I know God knows the exact number of our debt and when and if our debt is erased it will be to the exact penny.

"For many fell, because the war was OF GOD."  That line encouraged me, too.  I believe He has allowed us to be in this battle for so many reasons, to teach us so many things and to ultimately give Him the glory.  I don't believe He gave us debt as I think He hates debt, but I do believe He is using it for His purpose.  It is His war.  That doesn't make me think that we are supposed to sit back and just let God fight it for us.  I think that is why the valiant men are recorded in the Bible, too.  They are used by God to fight the war.  As long as we are crying out to Him and trusting in Him, then I believe we will prevail! 

The book of 1 Chronicles is far from boring.  It is full of encouragement even amongst the lists of Hebrew names of people I do not know.  I may not hear this book preached on from the front of church, but it contains great truths that leave me encouraged even though the battle is still on.