Bore With Pain

#1 2024 Top Ten Editors Note: This is the last posting of the Top Ten posts of 2024. Tomorrow begins the daily post of “Praying Through Psalm 23.”

Pain is born into our life. It grows and matures with weeping and more hurt. Pain is part of this world. When we feel overwhelmed by pain, it can be hard to find hope, to pray to God expecting relief.

In a running lineage of names in 1 Chronicles 4, Jabez is called out as being “more honorable than his brothers (verse 9, NASB).” It’s an interesting note given that “his mother named him Jabez saying, “Because I bore him with pain (10).” His name is representative of that pain.

I think some of our most heartfelt prayers rise up from our pain. It seems the honorable thing to do in our pain is to seek God, not curse Him. It is what Job did when his wife told him, in the midst of his pain, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die (Job 2:9).” Job’s response: “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity (10).”

Perhaps this is why Jabez was known to be more honorable than his brothers. Despite being known for pain, Jabez “called on the God of Israel, saying, ‘Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!’ And God granted him what he requested (1 Chronicles 4:10).”

Jesus knows the pains of this world. He came in the flesh. He wept at the death of Lazarus (John 11:33-35). We hear him question God in the garden of Gethsemane: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will (Matthew 26:39).” He cried out in his pain on the cross, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME (Mark 15:34).”

In our weeping and suffering; when people hear our name and are reminded of pain; when we feel forsaken by God, we have a choice. Curse God or do the honorable thing and share your deepest emotions, your deepest hurts with God.

© 2024, Chris G. Thelen