God Takes Away Our Pain
When I study the Bible, I use multiple versions (translations), depending on my mood and goals. One version that I seldom use, however, is the New King James Version (NKJV).
There’s no particular reason, it’s just how things have worked out.
There is only one passage that I have memorized using the NKJV. It is 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, the “prayer of Jabez,” which reads:
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 on 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.
Some versions, however, wrap up Jabez’s prayer with a different rendering. The NIV, for example, reads “so that I will be free from pain.”
That gives us a different perspective.
In this we connect the pain of his birth with a pain-free future, as seen through God’s answered prayer.
The mother of Jabez gave him a legacy because of the pain he caused her. And the God of Jabez took it away because he prayed!
May this encourage us when we pray.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.
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