Daily Devotion: Honorable

Scripture:
1 Chronicles 4: 9-10

Main Verse:
1 Chronicles 4: 9
Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain."

Observation:
I have been studying and reading about Jabez's prayer, but it was only today that I noticed the description of Jabez. There were only 2 descriptions stated in 1 Chronicles 4--that Jabez was honorable, and that his name meant "pain." In Bruce Wilkinson's "The Prayer of Jabez" the author explained that in the Bible, a man's name defined his future. Jacob's name meant "grabber," and indeed, Jacob had grabbed his brother Esau's birth right and took it as his own. King Solomon's name meant "peace," and throughout his reign, Israel never went to war.

Why did the author of 1 Chronicles 4 mention that Jabez was more honorable than his brothers? In the long list of names in 1 Chronicles, we see that the author especially mentioned Jabez's prayer, so he must be worth mentioning. Jabez did not believe that he was destined for disaster, as his name implied. He knew that if he lived a life that pleases the Lord, and if he would just pray hard to the Lord for His blessings, then the Lord would hear his prayers and grant him his heartfelt desire.

Application:
What does being honorable mean? The dictionary defines it as "characterized by principles of honor, to be worthy of high respect." A person who is honorable lives an upright life. The Lord wants us to live an honorable life. God created us in His own image, and as His masterpiece, He breathed unto us the same characteristics that He has when He created man. But because of sin, our supposed to be honorable lives were tainted. The Lord still wants us to be honorable in His sight. We can start by living a life that is worthy of our calling (Ephesians 4:1) and by pleasing the Lord in every way: "bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God." (Colossians 1:10).

Prayer:
Father, I want to have an honorable life, a life that is worthy unto your sight. Help me have a pure, noble, and moral heart. May I always live a righteous life so that others may see in me Your glory. Thank you for the wisdom and for teaching me ways in which I can honor you in my life. AMEN.