It is all Important

Do you ever struggle through certain parts of the Bible?

I'll admit, that the genealogy listings can really cause me to zone out.  I find myself skimming and looking to see were the "begot" list ends.

I've come to realize, though, that every part of the Bible is important.  There are things I've read multiple times and never thought much about until one day.....BAM!  It hit me. It made sense. It connected to something else.

If we look at certain things in the Bible as nonsense or unimportant, we can miss out.  One of my favorite parts of scripture is found in a list of genealogy.

Read it with me.

"and Koz begot Anub, Zobebah, and he families of Aharhel the son of Haram. Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "because I bore him in pain." And Jabez called to the God of Israel saying, Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted him what he requested. Cheleub the brother of Shuhah begot Mehir, who was the father of Eston. And Eshton begot Beth-Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Ir-Nahash. These were the men of Rechah."

Did you see that?  Right there in the middle of 1Chronicles 4, there was something big in the midst of the who begot who list.

There was Jabez and his prayer..

Jabez was more honorable than his brothers.

In the entire genealogy for the family of Judah, Jabez was the only one described.  And he was described as more honorable than his brothers.

Jabez prayed.

He asked God to bless him.  No, I don't believe this is selfish.  Don't we all want God's blessings?  Yes, so we need to ask for them. Our Father wants us to ask.

God answered his prayer.

Jabez asked, and he received.  What an amazing lesson for us.  Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:9, and James 1:5 are other examples of when we are told to ask for things in God's name.

There is a book called The Prayer of Jabez by Dr. Bruce Wilkinson.  In this book, readers are challenge to pray The Prayer of Jabez wholeheartedly and await the results.

If we ask God to bless us, He will.

If we ask Him for opportunity to serve, He will provide.

If we ask of Him, in His Name, we will receive.


You see, God's Word is important. All of it.  I pray that as you read your Bible, that you'll hang in there through the parts that don't seem to matter.  It all matters.  And if you look and ask God to speak to you through His Word.....He'll do it.  Just listen.

How's your Bible reading/studying going on this 18th day of 2016?  Have you set any goals?  Do you have a specific Bible you are reading from?

I am currently reading through my One Year Chronologic Bible.  I started this last year, so I'm not on "today's" daily reading.

I am also beginning my ESV Journaling Bible. With a whole lot of reluctance,  I've made my first entry.

I am not artistic by any means, but I think I will enjoy growing in God's Word with it.  My initial fear was that I would mess it up.  I just have to understand that it won't be Pinterest Perfect, but it will show how God is speaking through me.