good from evil from good

Today in the One Year Bible, we read from 1 Chronicles 4:5-5:17. And in this selection, we come across a passage that was ALL THE RAGE about twenty years ago.

See, there was a man named Jabez. And he prayed a simple prayer, "Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!" And the Bible says that God granted him this request.

Well, someone (Bruce Wilkinson) took that prayer and wrote a little book about it, encouraging people to pray this prayer. The book was actually pretty good and just encouraged people to pray and draw close to God. But then something happened. The Christian retailers of the world took this little book and went crazy with it. Christian retail often walks the very fine line between gift items that are legitimately and innocently inspirational... and simony. Simony, in case you're unfamiliar, is trying to make money from spirituality. It's what we know of today as slimy televangelists. The term comes from a man named Simon in the New Testament who offers Paul and Silas money if they'll give him the holy spirit so he can use it... basically for a magic show to make more money. Paul is pretty rough with him and says he hopes Simon's money goes to hell along with Simon.

But even though Christian retailers might have slipped over that line and tried to benefit monetarily from the work of the Holy Spirit, God has taken that little prayer and done good things with it. And today we can read it again, as though none of that had happened, and see that God hears our prayers and answers us.

God, thanks for taking the good that you've made, which we've used for evil ends, and working good out of it again.