Prayer: Father, may I see everything through Your eyes. May I see Your providence supercedes the schemes of the enemy and the devices of men. Your plan will prevail and be fulfilled. Amen.
Reading: Genesis 31 key: 6-7
6 Now you yourselves know that I’ve served your father with all my strength. 7 Yet your father has fooled around with me and has changed my salary ten times—but God hasn’t allowed him to harm me.
Attention: While we know the back story of Jacob, as a young man he bought his brother’s birthright and later stole, through deception, his brother Esau’s blessing, Jacob testifies of how God has blessed and protected him. We know that Laban deceived Jacob on his wedding night, bringing Leah to his tent instead of Rachel. The text is interestingly silent about how Rachel felt about this turn of events; however, later we see the bitter rivalry and jealousy that developed between Rachel and Leah.
However, while all the bitterness was developing, Adonai is blessing Jacob and his herds. Jacob has had enough of Laban’s overbearing punitive treatment, and he informs his wives (Laban’s daughters) of his intent to move from under the control of their father. The wives give their blessing, confirming Adonai’s intervention in transferring Laban’s wealth to Jacob’s family.
So, Jacob and family exit without saying goodbye and Laban upon discovering their disappearance, launches out to retrieve what he feels is his. Adonai intervenes by giving Laban a warning in a dream. Interesting to find that even Laban sees the difference in the herds. But notice that Laban says, “yesterday the God of your fathers spoke to me.” He does not say “my God” spoke to me, but “your father’s” God spoke to me. Notice too, that we are told that Rachel “stole the idols that belonged to her father.” Laban did not worship the same God as Jacob.
If you embrace the God of Jacob, you have the same providential care that he experienced. In our key verse today, Jacob declares— “but God hasn’t allowed him to harm us.” Adonai provides the same care to those who are His. Are you His? Are you exclusively His? He knows your heart. Is your heart completely His? If you are not experiencing His providential care, I encourage you to get your heart aligned with Him according to Matthew 22: 37-40.
Action: I desire to have God’s providential protection, so I will love Adonai (my) your God with all (my) your heart, and with all (my) your soul, and with all (my) your mind. And my neighbor as myself.
Yield: I give Adonai all my love.
Engage: I engage with Adonai with my “all.”
Relationship: I am in relationship when I engage with Adonai all day, every day!
Prayer: Father, I love You, Your Word, and I love my neighbor. Help me to love You more, Your Word more, and my neighbors. Amen.
Memory Verse: Matthew 22: 37-40
37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love Adonai your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire Torah and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Music Video: Lincoln Brewster—I will love You https://youtu.be/EAbeFfsqLdc
Remember, “Abide in Yeshua, today!