A Work in Progress….

Genesis 24:43 See, I am standing beside this spring. If a young woman comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar,” 

One of my favorite stories to tell is how I ended up in the town where I live, how I met the man I would eventually marry and with whom I would create a beautiful family. Let’s just say that this town was not my choice. In fact, I pretty much told God that the only way I would end up here is if no one else, out of 13 other interviews across the state, offered me a job. They say if you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans.

Genesis 24:44 and if she says to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too,” let her be the one the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’

All those years ago, I could only see how far away this town was from my home, my family. I could only see the tiny supplement and the fact that I knew no one here. I could not see the rich, full life that I would eventually live here. I’m thankful God had different plans for me. I’m thankful that I can (and do!) tell the story of the goodness of God in my journey.

Genesis 24:45 “Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’

Precious Savior, Thank You for the ability to tell our “God Stories,” the stories of how and where we have clearly seen You in our journeys. Thank You that You are with us–even in the heartbreak and disappointment–that Your ways are beyond anything we can imagine. Help us to trust You as we walk life’s path. Amen.

Genesis 24:46 “She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too.’ So I drank, and she watered the camels also.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 24:39 “Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’

Today I want to focus on the servant’s prayer in verse 42: “Lord, … if you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come.” “Lord, if you will…” is important phraseology, in my opinion. “If you can” would be inappropriate because God *can* do anything. He is sovereign in heaven and earth. But “if you will” leaves room for God to work.

Genesis 24:40 “He replied, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked faithfully, will send his angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s family. 

Don’t get me wrong–praying “Lord, if you will…” is not easy. I could give you two prayers at the moment that are in the forefront of my prayers that I really, really, really hope that the Lord grants. I know that He can. But I also know that His thoughts are not like my thoughts and His ways are far beyond anything I could imagine (Is 55:8). I want what feels like the best path. He wants the right path for me.

Genesis 24:41 You will be released from my oath if, when you go to my clan, they refuse to give her to you—then you will be released from my oath.’

Precious Savior, You want for us dreams that are beyond anything we can imagine. Help us to pray in Your will. And when Your will does not match our own, help us to trust that You love us more than we are capable of loving and Your plan is somehow greater than any plan we could create (even if we cannot yet understand it). Help us, Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 24:42 “When I came to the spring today, I said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 24:34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 

Commentary says the word master is used 22 times in this chapter. Just a quick glance at today’s verses, we see that in verse 34, he designates himself as Abraham’s servant and in all three of the other verses, he makes it clear that he is not in charge, his master is and he is doing as his master asked.

Genesis 24:35 The Lord has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 

This philosophy of servant-leadership, of putting ourselves in a position of serving as Christ’s hands and feet, of doing the work but pointing the spotlight to Christ is clearly seen in Galatians 2:20 “not I, but Christ”. Personally, shamefully, I struggle a bit here. I crave acknowledgement of the work I’ve done. It’s a part of myself I have been working to tame. Jesus, Help me.

Genesis 24:36 My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns. 

Precious Savior, I am Yours, body and spirit. Use me as You will. Direct me so I can be Your hands and feet. Help me to conquer that side of myself that craves acknowledgement, recognition for the work that I do. Help me to point others to You. You are the reason I am who I am, I do what I do. Help me to be humble and faithful. Always. Amen.

Genesis 24:37-38 And my master made me swear an oath, and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.’

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 24:30 As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring. 

Commentary makes me question Laban’s motives here. When I read it, I thought Laban reacted the way that he did because he recognized that the servant was “blessed by the Lord” and since the servant favored his sister, he was eager to show him hospitality and appreciation.

Genesis 24:31 “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord,” he said. “Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”

Commentary says Laban saw the riches the servant brought, was motivated by what kind of deal he could broker, not by hospitality or thankfulness or any positive emotion, and responded warmly as a way to seal a positive deal for himself (and, presumably, his sister and family).

Genesis 24:32 So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet. 

Precious Savior, You know our hearts. Help me, in every situation, to react from a place of love, kindness, compassion. Help me to strive to shine Your light and praise Your name. Help me seek to follow Your will for me. Help me not to be selfish or self seeking. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 24:33 Then food was set before him, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say.” “Then tell us,” Laban said.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 24:26 Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord, 

I love a good analogy, and commentary contains a great analogy about verse 27, where the servant says that he was already in motion (one version says “on the way”) when God led him to Rebekah: “It is hard to steer a parked car.”

Genesis 24:27 saying, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.”

If we want God to use us, we have to be “on the way,” so that all He has to do is steer us while we are in motion. I really think that ties in perfectly with seeking, seeing, questioning, asking, investigating to try to discern God’s will in any given situation. If we are on the move, trying to see where He is leading us, trying to see if we are going in the right direction, He can nudge us any way He needs.

Genesis 24:28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.

Precious Savior, You know I love a good analogy. Thank You for putting this one on my radar this morning. Thank You that I can so clearly see what You need of me–to move, to seek, to investigate–so that You can guide me to where I can be Your hands and feet. Help me, always, to find You, to shine Your light. Amen.

Genesis 24:29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he hurried out to the man at the spring.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 24:2 Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful.

Lord, Sometimes we want what we want so badly that we do everything we can to make it happen. When it doesn’t happen, we fall apart because we have planned and worked so carefully to make our plan a success. Help us to know the difference between doing what You need us to to accomplish Your will and acting out of stubbornness to achieve our own.

Genesis 24:22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels. 

You have told us in Isaiah 55:8, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts…And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” “Not yet” is not a no. “Your way is not my way” is not a no. And I’ve lived long enough to know that Your plans are so much bigger than anything we can imagine. Help us as we try to discern Your will in our lives.

Genesis 24:23 Then he asked, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”

Precious Savior, Forgive us when we get ahead of You. Forgive us when we are so eager that we don’t take time to listen and wait on Your will. Help us to seek Your will in our lives, to pray and wait, listen and obey, to know that You love us more than we are capable of loving and that Your plan, no matter how different, is so much greater than anything we can imagine for ourselves. Amen.

Genesis 24:24-25 She answered him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milkah bore to Nahor.” And she added, “We have plenty of straw and fodder, as well as room for you to spend the night.”

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 24:17 The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.”

Fun Fact: A camel can drink up to 20 gallons of water in one go. And Abraham’s servant had, according to commentary, ten camels. That would easily add up to an hour of work to water them. So Rebekah not only offers the servant water, she offers water to the camels “until they have had enough to drink.” That is a generous heart at work.

Genesis 24:18 “Drink, my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.

And remember that verse 15 tells us that Rebekah appears “before he had finished praying.” God listened and provided before the words were even out of his mouth. Sometimes it is like that. I’ve prayed to find something I’ve misplaced, and before the words are fully out of my mouth, I find the thing. Some would argue that’s just luck, but I’m giving credit to God. Thank You, Jesus.

Genesis 24:19 After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have had enough to drink.” 

Precious Savior, Sometimes You answer our prayers before they are even fully formed. Sometimes Your answer is “Wait” or “Not Yet” or “That’s not My will for you,” even when we have prayed for so long and with such heart that we are so very weary. Help us to seek and discern Your will with faithful hearts. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 24:20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 24:13 See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. 

What strikes me today is the servant’s faith that his prayer will be answered, that God will guide him to the right decision. I absolutely understand that philosophy. Ending up at App with a Teaching Fellows, finding a house to rent after college, getting my job at AC, meeting the man who would become my beloved husband–all felt like God was leading me, guiding me.

Genesis 24:14 May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”

But whether God was leading me or whether I allowed Him to use me, to guide me where I was, I’m not sure either is the point. The point is hope. The point is faith. The point is believing that there is a God, that He is good and sovereign and in control–maybe not of every tiny piece of minutiae but definitely of the bigger picture, that’s faith. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1.

Genesis 24:15 Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for the faith, the hope, the conviction I have in who You are, who You are in this world, who You are in eternity, and who You are to me. Guide my actions, guide my steps, guide my words, so that I may shine Your light and point others to You. Use me where I am, and help me to be where You need me to be. Amen.

Genesis 24:16 The woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 24:9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.

Commentary was very enlightening on today’s verses. For instance, verse 10 doesn’t seem to indicate any real distance from where the servant departed in Canaan to where he stopped in Nahor. However, commentary says that it was at least 500 miles between the two as the crow flies and the most common route would have been 900 miles. That’s a long way.

Genesis 24:10 Then the servant left, taking with him ten of his master’s camels loaded with all kinds of good things from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim and made his way to the town of Nahor. 

And when he arrived at his destination, his first concern was practical (water for the camels) and his second was spiritual (prayers for success for his mission). I think there is much to be observed here about obedience, perseverance, prayers, and giving of yourself for others.

Genesis 24:11 He had the camels kneel down near the well outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water.

Precious Savior, I absolutely know that in this world we live in, we can all do with learning more about putting You first, about obedience, perseverance, prayers, and giving of yourself for others. Sometimes it feels like it is every person for himself, but that’s not Your way, and that’s not what You call us to. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 24:12 Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 24:5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?”

Holy Father, You know that this is a difficult time of year for many of us. We have seen the promise of spring–of new growth, of longer days, of warm sunshine and riotous flowers–but we aren’t there yet. Winter still has a grip on our hearts. Help us to not only survive but to thrive during this season.

Genesis 24:6 “Make sure that you do not take my son back there,” Abraham said. 

Gentle Creator, This is the day that You have made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it, even if we are grumpy or tired, angry or bitter, frustrated or out of sorts. Help us to put that aside and focus on You, on this new day, this new opportunity. Help us to show up, to be present, to shine Your light today.

Genesis 24:7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land’—he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there. 

Precious Savior, Some are struggling with winter blahs. Some are struggling with a long, dark night of the soul. Some are struggling with lack of sleep and too much stress, but so many are struggling right now. Help us to turn to You. Help us to lay every burden at Your feet. Help us to wrap ourselves in Your peace and rest as we show up for You in this day. Help us. Amen.

Genesis 24:8 If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there.”

Have a blessed day.