SCRIPTURE: Genesis 31
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
As God’s much-loved children, we can be assured of His provision and protection as we fulfill our task for Him. God calls Jacob back to his purpose, to bring God’s blessing to the world from the promised land. He has multiplied his wealth. He has given him a large family. God has provided for Jacob, He will also protect him. God protects Jacob from his father-in-law, and from his own folly (in promising to kill whoever stole Laban’s idols). Unknown to Jacob, he was sentencing his wife to death. But God takes care of Him, providing for him and protecting him… from himself.
If gathering God’s family or building God’s kingdom depended on us, it would not happen. More often than not, we are in the way. Our bold dreams and rash promises and worldly confidence, as if we can do it ourselves by cunning or technique. How many of our church plans and programs rely on us and our cunning or technique.
How aware are we of how much God graciously provides, and how much He protects us… also from ourselves. Just as the statues stolen by Rachel were unknown to Jacob, how much is unknown to us. Apart from God working behind the scenes, giving us success where no success is deserved, we would be in trouble.
Yes, we must be faithful, we must do things with integrity, and we can use our creativity to come up with our plans and strategies. But never let us think that it is because of these things that we succeed. It is not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit, that we succeed (Zechariah 4:6).
In all that we do, we must put our confidence in the Lord, in His purpose, His promise, His provision and protection. Yes, we need to use wisdom and understanding to seek and fulfill God’s will, but we should not trust in them (Proverbs 3:5-6). At the end of the day, it is only because of God that anything we do succeeds. He gets all the glory!
PRAYER:
Lord, as I spend time dream and strategizing for crossroads, keep my confidence in You, and not in my schemes. Establish the work of my hands, Lord. Establish the work of my hands!
Once again there is strife within the family, especially when it comes to worldly goods.It was not only between Jacob and Laban but also the descendents. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Even Jacob feels ‘cheated’ by his wages. Although he became wealthy it was by his hard work that he earned it he told Laban and yet he did recognize God’s hand in it when he spoke to his wives. a mixed message.
And when the families parted, Rachel took the lifestyle of Laban with her. She too said the wealth belonged to them. They had earned it. Do whatever – whatever God has told you.
God’s way comes to pass as seen by His speaking to Laban. God uses people His wonders to perform. The two even make a covenant in His presence and then went their separate ways.
Help me Lord, to Stop. Look. And Listen. Help me to be a person of integrity in all I do and say. You are my God. May worldly possessions never come in the way of my love for You. Thank You for Your never failing presence – power – grace – Spirit – to direct my misguided footsteps. Lead me and guide me in the way everlasting.
Not what my hands have done can save my guilty soul;
Not what my toiling flesh has borne can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do can give me peace with God;
Not all my prayers and sighs and tears can bear my awful load.
Your voice alone, O Lord, can speak to me of grace;
Your power alone, O Son of God, can all my sin erase.
No other work but Yours, no other blood will do;
No strength but that which is divine can bear me safely through.
Thy work alone, O Christ, can ease this weight of sin;
Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God, can give me peace within.
Thy love to me, O God, not mine, O Lord, to Thee,
Can rid me of this dark unrest, And set my spirit free.
(oops, not sure what happened there) I shall continue
Jacob was so sure that nothing had been stolen that he spoke out in haste to give over the life of whomever had stolen. These relationships had been full of deceipt from the moment they began yet Jacob didn’t think about that lack of integrity and the fact that indeed one of them may have stolen from Labon. LORD, may we always take the time to think, to get the facts before we blurt out careless responses. Forgive me for the times that I have responded in haste, without praying / thinking things through with You.
Rachel must have feared for her life yet instead of confessing and pleading for her life because of the wrong that she had done, she quickly responds with yet another lie. It has become that easy for her?
In the end we see that Jacob and Labon build an altar to make a covenant before God between one another. How ironic that they recognize that they want God as their witness even though there was so much deceipt, so much distrust between them.
LORD, it’s only by Your grace that we live. I place my hope in You LORD. Thank You LORD for being the LORD of my life, for Your daily provisions, for the unfailing love and unending grace that You continually pour out. Thank You LORD for the unending work that You are doing in this world today despite the mess that has been made of things, despite the disfunction……
Not because of who we are, but because of what You’ve done, not because of what we’ve done but because of who You are!
LORD, again You reveal the ugliness of jealousy as it divides and feeds sin.
Labon did not want Jacob to succeed and did all that he could to hinder and prevent Jacob from being successful. Thank You LORD for showing us that Your plans and purposes could not be stopped. You provided for Jacob just as You continue to provide for us today.
LORD, help us as believers to not respond in ungodly ways when we have been cheated or wronged. May we trust You to provide and take care of every detail.