Identifiers

1 Chronicles 4:9 “And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.”

As I was waiting, seeking God, and watching with God over this season, the Lord said to me, “I Will Give You A Name”. When God says to you, “I Will Give You A Name”, naturally what comes to my mind is that God will give me a new name. 

So, I was excited. But like I would do, I pressed further to understand what He was saying. And He said to me, “I did not say I will give you a new name.” I was like, “Okay”. He said, “I said I Will Give You A Name”. In other words, I will make your name great. I will give you a name among the greats. And I speak over you, in the Name of Jesus, that The Maker of the Heavens and Earth will give you a name and make your name great. Yes, God can do that by changing your name, or by amplifying your name.

God can do that by making your name indispensable. God can do that by making your name so relevant. So, I pray in the Name of Jesus, that your name will be indispensable and relevant in the Mighty Name of Jesus. It is not every time that God changes people’s names. So, I had to check scriptures, because whatever God says to you must be consistent with the Bible. So, what is the scriptural precedence for this direction that the Holy Spirit was and is giving us? And a couple of things began to bubble to mind. He said, “What is the meaning of Mary?” There have been other derived meanings of the name Mary. However, the real meaning of the name Mary is not pleasant, it is from a word bitter or rebellious. Yet, the mother of Jesus was Mary. 

Beginning today we will be looking at another person whose name God did not change and that is Jabez. Jabez’s name meant pain sorrow. Jabez’s mother named him he that causes pain. There are a lot of theories around why she named in Jabez. Some say Jabez had a big head and during childbirth he caused his mother a lot of pain. So, his mother said this boy can cause pain therefore his name will be pain. What a pathetic way to name a child knowing that child will carry that name for the rest of his life. Other schools of thought say something happened in the family that was painful and that was when Jabez was born and was named pain. Some people said Jabez’s father abandoned his mother, she was heartbroken, and she had to go through childbirth alone. So, when she gave birth to Jabez, she named him pain. 

We do not particularly know which school of thought is correct or is not correct. But one thing we know is Jabez was from the tribe of Judah, and the meaning of his name is sorrowful, he that causes pain. So, Jabez was going about life with that stigma, that label, that name tag “he that causes pain”.  Again, I ask, what is your name? Think about it. What does your name mean?

Prayer: Father, I bring my name before You this season, according to Your Word, give me a name, make my name great, amplify my name, in Jesus Mighty Name. Amen!