Day 11, or January the 11th. Disappointments
don't have to break you. Our thought today is
rooted in Genesis chapter 29, verses 27 and 28.
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.
First, the big picture surrounding these verses.
Jacob meets his match in trickery when he encounters
Laban who will become his father -in -law twice
over. Jacob thinks everything is going very well
when he asks for Rachel to be his wife and her
father agrees. He must think back to his negotiations
with God when he raised conditions in return
for following God. This time the sandal is on
the other foot, so to speak. As Laban tells him,
the price for Rachel is seven years of non -paid
labour. He agrees so easily that Laban must have
wished he'd asked for more. The double -crossing
brother is double -crossed as he marries Rachel's
sister Leah, and has to give another seven years
of free labour to get Rachel too. In addition
to two sisters, he also receives their two maids,
who become his concubines. These four women give
Jacob twelve sons and one daughter. As a wealthy
man with many sons and fine flocks, Jacob leaves
to head south, hoping to avoid Esau and get back
home intact. And now our action step for today.
How do you react when things don't go according
to your plans? Most of us don't like it. Some
of us crumble. It's interesting to see how Jacob
reacts to being duped by Laban. He seems to accept
it quietly, but I suspect with gritted teeth
and fresh determination. The mark of a true believer
is how they respond to disappointments. When
things are going well, it's easy to be a faithful
follower. But when your world is falling to bits
all around you, it's so much harder. If you're
struggling at the moment, why not just hang on
in there and trust that God will honour you and
come through for you? After all, He is never
a disappointment, and He is always holding on
to you.