Good morning,

There are several people in history that God miraculously exalted. I mean, people who were once lowly and downtrodden, but God lifted them up. For example, we have Joseph, Gideon, Daniel, Esther, Ruth, Jabez, etc. I particularly love the story of Jabez told in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10.

I do not know what will make a mother curse her child from birth. Every mother goes through labor pains. Some births are more painful and complicated than others. But no matter how terrible a mother’s labor experience is; even if she almost lost her life, I have never seen a mother curse her child from birth. Jabez mother placed upon him, the kind of curse that will follow him for the rest of his life. The name Jabez means ‘he makes sorrowful’. This meant that even if Jabez managed to make any tiny progress in life, once someone calls his name and Jabez answers, that curse is automatically activated in his life all over again.

One day Jabez realized that there is a God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He heard that this God was a name-changer and just as God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, God could change his own name too. So Jabez called on the God of Israel and God granted him what he requested until this same Jabez that was cursed and despised by all became more honorable than all his brethren.

Now, it is not yet time to run off and go start calling upon God ignorantly, “Oh Lord change my story! Change it! Change it!! Change it!!!”  Have you not noticed that so many people have also called upon God but did not get any answer talk less of what they requested? Even you, you have called upon God many times but got no answer. Does God have special favorites that he chooses to exalt? No. The bible says that God is not a respecter of persons (Romans 2:11). He does not do partiality. However, there is a code that Jabez and all these other people mentioned in the first paragraph cracked to get God to lift them high and make them flourish.

Ezekiel chapter 17 verse 24 says, “And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have spoken and have done it.” This verse is a unique verse because it is both a warning and a promise. It reveals a secret spiritual law that God has put in place such that anyone who activates this law will reap the corresponding reward.

This verse is essentially saying that if you want God to exalt you, you must let go of pride and boastfulness and become low. If you want God to make you flourish, you cannot come to him as someone who is wealthy and full, but rather as someone who is dry and thirsty and in need of water. This is the kingdom strategy to be exalted.

Ask God today to reveal areas in your life where you are operating in pride and loftiness and begin to address them one by one in the place of prayer. If you are diligent in doing this, you will see yourself rising in life without struggle and stress very soon.

This is Sinner To Saint devotional and you can watch or listen to it every morning on YouTube with the handle: Joy Taiwo or read it on https://www.taiwojoyebere.com

God bless you!

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