Wide Open Spaces
You make a spacious place beneath me for my steps, and my ankles do not give way. 2 Samuel 22:37
Before working at FUGE Camps in the summer of 1999, I had never traveled west of the Mississippi River. That summer, I worked camp in California and drove a truck with supplies from Nashville to Riverside, CA, a three-day journey. One thing that I noticed about the West was all the wide open spaces. I remember seeing a storm in the distance, thinking it wasn’t very far away, when in fact, it was a long distance away.
One stretch of the journey took me and my friend through the Mohave Desert. This desert occupies over 22,000 square miles, a considerable area of land. It includes a significant portion of Southern California and parts of Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. For four long hours and hundreds of miles, we saw nothing but desert - sand, rocks and rock formations, tumbleweed, and cacti. This was undoubtedly the largest open space I had ever seen.
Sometimes, we close ourselves off in our small world. The idea of wide open spaces represents room to grow, explore, and step beyond our current limits. It’s a longing for more freedom to live and more opportunities to become who we were created to be.
Read 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, a passage commonly known as the ‘Prayer of Jabez’. In the middle of a long genealogy, we meet Jabez, whose very name means “pain.” Despite that label, he didn’t settle for a life limited by his past or his name. Instead, Jabez believed God was willing to and could bless him. So, he prayed and asked. That’s faith!
In his bold request, Jabez asked God for four things: 1) blessing, 2) expanded territory, 3) His presence, and 4) protection from evil. Jabez longed for greater influence, greater opportunity, and a life that reached beyond his current boundaries. His prayer shows us that it's okay to ask God for more—not out of selfishness, but out of a desire to live fully into God's purposes. Verse 10 tells us that God granted Jabez’s request. This reminds us that God hears and answers prayers of faith.
God is calling us to see beyond ourselves and our comfort zones, to slow our pace, and to step into the wide open spaces of the world to share Him and His love with those in desperate need of a Savior. This may take on the form of opening new doors where we are, or it may mean going to whole new areas. We must be obedient to what God is doing in our lives.
When we are obedient to a task God has given us, He will give us a new task with increased responsibility. Additional responsibilities and opportunities can be scary and overwhelming, but we must always keep in mind that God will provide what we need to do as He asks.
So, don’t be afraid to dream and pray big, in faith. Then, stand back and see what God does.
Call to Action
What “wide open space” are you longing for?
Invite God into that space and commit to pray 1 Chronicles 4:10 over it during the weeks ahead.
Digging Deeper
Read these additional Scriptures: Psalm 66:19-20, Jeremiah 33:3, Isaiah 41:10, Matthew 7:7-11.
Pray
Lord, I don’t want to live small or afraid. Bless me and grant me opportunities to serve You. Help me to seek You in all things and to walk boldly, guided by Your hand, trusting You with every unknown. Amen.
Copyright © 2025 Kyle Cravens
