Sunday, October 19, 2008

Rachel - On The Cat Walk


Genesis 29:26-30 Laban replied, "It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. Finish this daughter's bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work." And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. Laban gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant. Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.


Supermodels, Actresses, Prom Queens, Beauty Pageant Contestants - what do they have in common? Most are extremely, physically attractive - and envied by many. Many a movie plot line contains the characters of the beautiful, yet shallow, girl who has the guy and the not-as-attractive introvert who just wants this same guy to notice her. The movie ends well when the guy realizes what a better person the introvert is and that is who he really wants.


Rachel is beautiful, the Bible says so - but that doesn't mean her heart didn't break when she found out she'd have to share Jacob with her sister. I don't care what the traditions were in that day - whether the older has to be married off first or not, Rachel could not have liked the fact that she would have to share her husband.

How do we react when our heart is broken? When those nearest to us have hurt us deeply? Maybe it's a husband or a child or a parent - and the pain is real. Rachel may have just said, "forget it, he can have Leah and I'll find someone else" - but she didn't. She went through with what was intended and the Bible says, "he loved Rachel more than Leah". Do we push through and do what God intends for us to do - have love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control? Or do we wallow in our self-pity of being hurt?

God has a plan for us, but if we're too hung up on the way the world treats us, He won't be able to use us. God never said it would be easy - but He is always on our side and loves us, even when it seems like no one else does.

1 comment:

debrah said...

Great Post! Discerning when to take time to heal and when to press on has been difficult for me. It is often after the fact when I realize that the Lord did say wait...take some time before moving forward.
Be Blessed,
In His Love,
Debrah