LORD, ENLARGE OUR TERRITORY!

If you can believe it, the balloon you see above was right above my neighbor’s house when I took this picture!  Sometimes I would love to just up and fly away wouldn’t you?  The perspective from hot air balloons must be amazing and personally I have never flown in one.  Someday I hope to.

Our daily lives and circle of influence and our view is only as large as we can imagine…….kind of like a view we would see from a hot air balloon.  But GOD has an even bigger picture that we cannot see and HIS ability to enlarge our circle of influence is endless.  All we have to do is ask……..then trust.

Take a moment and look in the Old Testament in the book of 1 Chronicles 9 – 10.  There is a small jewel you cannot miss.  After a long list of Judah’s descendants, you will find a blessing asked for by Jabez…….

1 CHRONICLES 4: 9-10 “JABEZ WAS MORE HONORABLE THAN HIS BROTHERS; AND HIS MOTHER CALLED HIS NAME JABEZ, SAYING BECAUSE I BORE HIM IN PAIN.  JABEZ CALLED UPON THE GOD OF ISRAEL, SAYING, “OH THAT YOU WOULD BLESS ME AND ENLARGE MY BOARDER, AND THAT YOUR HAND MIGHT BE WITH ME, AND THAT YOU WOULD KEEP ME FROM HARM SO THAT IT MIGHT NOT BRING ME PAIN.” ESV

The New King James version says the blessing like this:

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.”  

This second version I have memorized because it so struck a cord with me……….to enlarge ones territory is not an easy thing to ask of GOD.  Time is relative of course for everyone, so asking GOD for even more to do takes some courage on our part.

If we give this enlarge our territory some thought, we will realize that a generous life enlarges!  For our territory to increase, our selfishness needs to decrease.  This perspective is a confident trust of more of GOD and less of me.

Enlarging our boarders should be seen as a blessing from GOD.  We can ask HIM to bless us first in however HE sees fit.  When is the last time you asked HIM just to simply bless you?  If you haven’t, ask HIM now and remember to do this:

ACTS 3:19 “REPENT, THEN, AND TURN TO GOD, SO THAT YOUR SINS MAY BE WIPED OUT, THAT TIMES OF REFRESHING MAY COME FROM THE LORD.”

We repent first and our souls are lighter.  Times of refreshing we need so that we can go out and be on mission for the LORD.  HE will give us those Jabez appointments one after another and sometimes when we least expect them!  But we need to be aware and open and ready. 

There are those times when we feel we cannot handle one……..more……..thing.  I find when I am in a busy day or week, that GOD asks even more of me.  Why is that?  I think it is because HE wants us to lean into HIM more deeply.  We would like to run away from all our responsibilities, but HE says no…….let’s continue forward together.

Because we are limited beings, our being is limited.

But GOD is not, and HIS possibilities and promises are for us to grow our boarders because of the end result:  eternity.  May we increase our boarders to increase HIS kingdom!

EPHESIANS 4: 16 “FROM HIM THE WHOLE BODY FITTED AND KNIT TOGETHER BY EVERY SUPPORTING LIGAMENT, PROMOTES THE GROWTH OF THE BODY FOR BUILDING UP ITSELF IN LOVE BY THE PROPER WORKING OF EACH INDIVIDUAL PART.”

More opportunities from GOD means more JABEZ-like appointments.  Let us be aware of those that come our way, even ones we may have overlooked.  How do we not know that those opportunities, our boarder enlarging, isn’t a perfect time to share the GOSPEL with someone?

Don’t wrap yourself up in your tidy little life…….be open, be aware, look and love those who come across your path.  Ask GOD to enlarge your territory……..then watch and obey, be ready to reach out in love, because wonderful, amazing things are on the horizon!

JOHN 4: 35 “LISTEN TO WHAT I’M TELLING YOU: OPEN YOUR EYES AND LOOK AT THE FIELDS, BECAUSE THEY ARE READY FOR HARVEST.”