‘If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you.’ (Genesis 31:42)
One of the greatest lessons of Genesis is the continued understanding that, though we may think otherwise, our lives truly are not in our hands. Though Jacob toiled with his father-in-law and was treated unfairly, he came to this realization that God was the one overruling all of his life circumstances. There are two responses to such a revelation.
The first response is anger or frustration because life circumstances aren’t going the way you’d like them to go. The knowledge that God is overruling the events of your life is another example of your feeling that He doesn’t seem to care much about you and your needs.
The second response is the one modeled by Jacob – a general trust that, even though things don’t always go the way you desire, God is ultimately looking out for you and your best interest. You may not understand the depth of his care in the moment, but you trust that, in the end, His purposes will be revealed.
Which response do you have when things in your life don’t necessary go the way that you hoped they would?
Lord, help me to remember that You care so much about me and my life. Give me strength to trust You even when things are hard, and help me to find joy in knowing that You are looking out for me even if it isn’t clear in the moment.
Leave a Reply