Oh, That You Would Bless Me Indeed

Oh, That You Would Bless Me Indeed

1 Chronicles 4:10 - "And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed…"

When Jabez finally speaks, his first request is not for territory. He asks for blessing. We have used the word "blessed" so frequently that it can easily lose its weight. We call a new job a blessing, a house a blessing, financial increase a blessing, and rightly receive good things with gratitude. Yet biblical blessing cannot be reduced to having more possessions or experiencing fewer problems.

Think about Abraham. When God called him in Genesis 12, He promised to bless him, but the promise did not finish with Abraham enjoying a comfortable life. God said, in effect, "I will bless you…and you will be a blessing." The blessing was intended to travel. Abraham would receive from God, but what God placed upon his life would eventually affect families and generations far beyond him.

That gives us a healthier way to pray Jabez's prayer. "Bless me indeed" cannot simply mean, "Lord, make my life easier and give me everything I desire." Some of the people Scripture clearly presents as blessed by God still endured very difficult seasons. Joseph knew slavery and imprisonment. David knew betrayal and caves. Paul knew opposition, imprisonment and suffering. God's blessing was present, but it could not always be measured by comfort.

Sometimes blessing looks like provision, but sometimes it looks like wisdom. Sometimes it is an open door, and sometimes it is the door God refuses to let us enter. Sometimes it is increase, and sometimes it is the discernment to recognise that something attractive would ultimately harm us. There are even mercies we will never know we received because God protected us from situations we never knew were approaching.

Jabez called upon the God of Israel because he understood that the blessing he wanted ultimately had a source beyond himself. This does not make hard work, planning or discipline unnecessary. Scripture never teaches laziness disguised as dependence upon God. It simply reminds us that our effort is not sovereign. There are things no amount of networking can manufacture, wisdom money cannot purchase and circumstances we cannot control.

So there is nothing wrong with asking God to bless you. Ask Him boldly. Ask Him to bless your home, your work, your children, your decisions and the things He has entrusted to you. But leave enough room in the prayer for God to determine what blessing should look like.

Perhaps the blessing you most need this year is not another possession but a wiser heart. Perhaps it is peace in an area that has tormented you for years. Perhaps it is courage to leave something familiar. Perhaps it is grace to remain faithful in something difficult. Perhaps it is a restored hunger for God.

And when blessing comes, remember Abraham. God's blessing was never intended to stop with the person receiving it. If God increases your resources, somebody else should eventually experience generosity. If He gives you wisdom, somebody should benefit from your counsel. If He opens a door for you, perhaps you will one day be able to hold one open for somebody else.

The prayer is "Bless me," but the mature heart eventually asks, "Father, what do You want to do through the blessing You have placed in my hands?"

Prayer

God of Israel, I ask You to bless me indeed. Bless me according to Your wisdom and not merely according to my limited understanding of what blessing should look like. Bless my relationship with You, my home, my work, my decisions and the responsibilities You have entrusted to me. Give me wisdom where I need wisdom, provision where I need provision, courage where I need courage and restraint where restraint will preserve me. Do not give me anything that will quietly take Your place in my heart. Prepare me for what You desire to place in my hands, and when You bless me, make me a blessing. Let the goodness You show me reach my family, my generation and people I may never even meet. In Jesus' name, Amen.