Start Time:	05:10 AM
End Time:	06:08 AM
Date:	Aug. 2, 2014

 

TITLE: David and Jabez

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 4:10 and Psalms 18

God’s Message / God’s Commands / God’s Promises:

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1) Jabez & David knew the truth and accepted it - what is the truth? - We don’t have control on what happens to us!

Jabez was born that his life was already predicted to be sorrowful...he will live in pain and not only that because his life is pain, he will most likely inflict pain to others too. - now this kind of problem is out of his control because he was born with it.  It's not like he had the choice to name himself.  The worst part is that it was his mother who named him in pain and his life was laid out or formed the moment she named him. 

Don't get me wrong, we have self control.  It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit in us but that's it, control of ourselves and nothing more.  So we can control how we react or respond to what happened to us but we do not have the power to control what happens to us.

For the past few weeks, we've been experiencing hits from different typhoons.  Now, that is out of our control.  We can only control on how we respond or act before or after the typhoon hit but we can’t stop it.  Death is something we cannot control!  Our control limits to ourselves, our actions, our understandings, our feelings but beyond that, we don’t have power anymore.  Example, we can control the house we want to build by designing it but then there are too many variables to consider that you will have to compromise like your budget, the location, manpower, etc.  So you have a sense of control but never total control.  Note that the only control mentioned in the Bible is self control and even that requires God because it is the fruit of the Holy Spirit!

So know that majority of our problems in life is really out of our control.  Like David in Ps.18, he wrote a song after God delivered him from all his enemies including Saul, and he said in vs 3 - 5, "I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies. The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me." - here we can see that David refer to his enemy as death.  Note that he did not mention King Saul or any other kings of the nations who are pursuing him, instead he refer to death as the one entangled on him, the cords of the grave coilded around him, the snares of death confronted him... can we control death?  do we have power over it?  No!  Even David recognized that he has no control over his real enemies on his own and so we too have to understand that on our own, we don't have control over our problems too. 

2) Turn the Truth into your life's testimony - how? - By surrendering to God!

Now that we recognize that we don't have control to most of our problems so it's time to go to the person who does.  And only God has full control of everything!

Jabez recognize this.  He knew that his life was already set for sorrows so he accepted it but he didnt settle.  He went to the only Person he knew can change his fate!  He went to God and prayed!  David did the same way, he knew that he did not have control over his real enemies so he relied on God by trusting God and doing what was right before God.  Ps. 18:6 says. "In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears."

The same way in our lives, knowing that we don't have control doesn't mean we just settle.  Meaning we don't do anything about it because we don't have control over it.  Instead, like Jabez and David, let us surrender to the only One who does! 

Surrendering means giving God full control; it means we are to recognize God as the subject or the center of our lives.  David best illustrated this in Ps. 18. 

**He surrendered and obeyed God (ps. 20 - 24)

**He made God the center/subject of his life (ps 18:30 - 45) - here we can see that in everything David recognized the Lord.  He trained for battle and went after his enemies but in the end he said that it was God who delivered his enemies into his hands.

Many people today fell into the trap of neglecting God.  Like the popular verse in the Bible, "I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me" - most people focus on "I can do all things" but they failed to see that the focus should be "Thru Christ who strengthens me" - so who's the center of ur life today?  Remember, we don't have control over our problems so surrender to the One who does!

3) Declare your thanksgiving and praise - how? - Speak of His goodness, share your testimonies...

Jabez's life was changed for God granted his request, though the Bible did not speak of Jabez thanking God, but his life was written for that same purpose.  Jabez's story was on the Bible so that we may praise God.  And for sure, Jabez was grateful to God as well.

Remember Isaiah 43:21 says, "The people whom I formed for Myself Will declare My praise." - so our purpose is to praise the Lord.

let's look at the life of David in Ps. 18, the whole chapter is about praising God.  He wrote about his struggles but then he said, Praise be to my Rock, exalted be God my Savior! in vs. 46.

When we realize the TRUTH (we don't have control) and turn it into our life's TESTIMONY (surrender to God), then it will result to our THANKSGIVING (Praise to the Lord).