Make Room For Your Blessing

Rev. James C. Matthews
"Now 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

Most people today are familiar with the Prayer of Jabez and how he dared to ask God to bless him indeed. Many of us may have memorized and even recited Jabez's prayer in hopes that God would likewise respond to our prayers and bless us in a like manner.

However, I believe one of the major reasons many of our prayers have not been answered is because we have forgotten or simply do not understand a principle that Jabez understood. This principle is: "God blesses those who have prepared themselves to be blessed".

When Jabez asked God to bless him indeed, he was asking God do something He nor anyone around him had experienced. He asked for something out of the ordinary and supernatural. Recognizing he did not have the capacity to handle such a blessing, He petitioned God to provide him with the necessary capacity by expanding his borders. Jabez said, God bless me indeed, but don't forget to correspondingly increase my ability to handle what You are going to do. This is the key to experiencing God's abundance in your life.

Many of us have asked God to do something extra ordinary in our lives but we don't have the capacity to handle or properly manage what we've asked for. We've asked God to pour out rivers of blessing upon us but only have a cups capacity. If God were to give us what we've asked for much of it would be wasted. God will never give us something that we are not ready for.

There may even be some who have been preparing themselves for expansion but have forgotten God in their preparation. You can't build a barn big enough to hold what God can pour out. Only God knows the measure and integrity of the container needed to possess His blessings.

When God called Abraham and told him that he was going to multiply and bless him abundantly the first thing He told him was to move. God told him to move from his family and go to a place that He would show him. God told Abraham to move for two reasons:

(1) It would remove him from the pagan influences of his family and society, and
(2) to make room for the blessing that He had planned to give him.

Abraham disobeyed God by bring his nephew Lot with him and the first recorded quarrel they had was not over money or theological differences - but space. God had blessed Abraham to the point that the land could not hold both of them. The reason the land could not hold both of them was because the land was given in proportion to Abraham's blessing. God blessed Abraham but also gave him the means and ability to possess and care for his blessing.

What have you asked God to do in your life? Do you believe that God will answer you? Are your preparations adequate and in line with what you've asked Him for? Have you included God in your preparations? I believe if Jabez were here to share with us the key to experiencing abundance in our lives he would say: First, believe that God will bless you, and second, you must be prepared for your blessing before it will comes.

Have you made room for your blessing?

Enough Is Enough

Milan Ford

This past Sunday evening, I struggled heavily with writing this devotional for today. The theme for this week, Generational Blessings, is such a great one for us to discuss, that I wanted to find just the right words to say to stress the importance for us (as believers) to pass the wisdom, statutes, and blessings of our God from generation to generation.

After hours of staring at a blank page, I decided to take a break and flip through a few TV channels. It wasn't long till I discovered that BET (Black Entertainment Television) had scheduled a special Michael Jackson tribute during their 2009 music awards show. While not a fan of the network, I (along with millions of people across the world) was a huge fan of Jackson as a child.

Like many of you, I had been glued to the TV for three days straight in disbelief. While we all understand that indeed our days our numbered with the Lord, the passing of Michael Jackson still hit hard for many of us who grew up listening to his music. Despite the many personal challenges and character flaws he has often been attributed with, it is difficult to argue that his influence on today's pop culture and music is immeasurable.

(I still have the glitter glove to prove it!!)

So despite my distaste for the network - my wife and I decided to endure it anyway to see how this generation would pay tribute to one who helped pave the way for so many. Towards the end of the program, one of this generation's most popular artists, Lil Wayne, performed a song along with several others entitled, Every Girl.

{enter a frown here}

Without assuming every one reading this devotional today is aware of this song, Every Girl is basically about the desire of this artist, and those who accompanied him on the song, to have sexual intercourse with "every girl" in the world. The explicit lyrics of this song (I promise you) are unparalleled. And despite the implications of this song, BET allowed Lil Wayne and those with him to perform the song with what appeared to be several underage girls dancing on stage.

{enter another frown here}

My wife and I were frozen in shock. And our shock, quickly turned into tears. And with tears in my eyes, I walked back to that blank page I spoke to you about earlier and wrote these three words:

Enough Is Enough.

Family, please hear me: I am thoroughly convinced that there is a direct link between one's ability to obtain and benefit from the GENERATIONAL blessings God has for them, with one's inability to address and eliminate the GENERATIONAL curses that they are faced with.

For generations, African-Americans have endured pain and suffering at the hands of unjust racial discrimination. However, because of a desire to see the next generation experience the blessings of God, a decision was made to fight against the discrimination that had for so long cursed them.

However, there is one GENERATIONAL curse that has hindered our communities for far too long. Although we see it and know that it is there, we remain silent. However, interesting enough, our silence can be heard around the world every time you turn on the radio or television.

This curse must be addressed and broken for us to truly see the blessings God has for our people, regardless of race and creed. I am talking about the TREATMENT OF OUR WOMEN.

How can we continue to allow the very vehicle God created to bring forth and redeem mankind, be turned into a such an immoral and commercial commodity? How do we expect our nation, our churches, and our homes to be blessed when we curse the very creation of our God?

As a husband and father of three, I have come to understand that the manner in which I raise, protect, and pour into my family has GENERATIONAL implications, none greater than with my children. Church, we are the LIGHT of the world - and the SALT of the earth (Matt 5:13-14).

How can we continue to be fixated on receiving the blessings of God, when we are surrounded by curses that remain unbroken? Our voices must be heard. And our influence must be seen.

Today, I am serving our nation's entertainment industry this final notice: Enough Is Enough. We are the people of God, and our women are not just EVERY GIRLS. They are a BLESSING.

A blessing that must be protected GENERATION after GENERATION.
Church, it is time to rise.