As The Blessing Turns Pt. 3
How does God lead his people and unfold His plan in our lives? Are we to sit and wait for extrodinary signs or impressions? Moreover, what can we learn from how God led Jacob in the events recorded in Gen. 29? And how does this passage demonstrate God's control over His people, His world and His salvation?
Gen. 29 shows how God begins to unfold this stage of His plan for Jacob through a series of providences. God provides Jacob with a place to rest, grow and develop in safety. He provided him with a wives to begin the family that would branch out into the twelve tribes of Israel. He even provides him with someone who will cause him to grow in character. Once more Moses the author of the book of Genesis shows how God is in control of His world, His people and His plan of salvation. And that control is very much in evidence even though the Lord isn’t even mentioned in the first several scenes of this narrative.
Jacob comes to the exact well where Laban’s flock is watered daily. He even arrives right before Laban’s daughter Rachel comes to water the flock and finds people who know of Laban and his family.
From behind the scenes we have to remember that God had to control the events of Laban’s life to the extent that he and his family would be alive and well enough to take Jacob in so that he would have a place of rest, work and safety during his time away from his family. God also had to ensure that Laban had daughters that would be of marriageable age and remian unmarried so that Jacob would be able to marry within the family.
And yet God exerted His control in such a wise way that Laban did exactly what he wanted to do, lived the life he wanted to live and even though he didn’t know it was still used in God’s plan of redemption.
And that’s true in your life. We know that because through a series of God’s providences He brought you to Himself through faith in Christ. It might have been through a family member, co-worker, friend or some other means. But God orchestrated your life to the point where He brought to Himself through hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Which brings us to the issue of how does God leads us today.
Taking Jacob as an example we know that God doesn’t tell us all of the details of our lives. Jacob didn’t know that he’d meet Laban’s daughter, fall in love with her, work seven years to marry her, get tricked into marrying her sister and then have to work another seven years for Laban, end up having thirteen children, work for Laban twenty years before finally leaving secretly by night to return to the land of Canaan.
And yet all of this was part of God’s plan to protect and preserve Jacob and his family so that they would remain intact and grow until the Lord was pleased to bring them down to Egypt.
This entire episode of Jacob’s life began when he listened to his parents and went to live with his mother’s family to take a wife for himself and that highlights an important principle regarding seeking the Lord’s guidance. We begin by following God’s clearly marked out path found in scripture.
- Repent of sin and commit to living a lifestyle of holiness, love, service and delight before the Lord.
Become a vital part of a good bible believing, bible teach church where you can grow and use the gifts God has given you.
Commit yourself to practicing the principles laid out in scripture that contribute to our spiritual growth and maturity.
And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Learn to make wise decisions in keeping with the wisdom revealed in scripture. Much of this wisdom is written in the book of proverbs. If you think it might help you can listen to the sermon series I did on the book a few years ago.
Stop acting as if seeking God's direction is like dialing up the psychic hotline.
Commit to doing the small, mundane things well.
Be willing to wait for the Lord to unfold His plan for your life in His time.
Learn the value and blessedness of contentment. Cultivate the grace to be satisfied with what God has given you and where you are now taking the time to enjoy the Lord here and now.
Pay attention to the lessons God is teaching on the journey.
Remember to call on the Lord at all times and especially times of extreme trouble, pain or grief. (David did this on several occasions)
Don’t fall into the trap of believing that you’re not significant, valued, honored and delighted in just because you haven’t achieved something great.
Don’t be deceived into believing that trouble and difficulty aren’t apart of the unfolding of God’s plan for your life.
Believe and live in the knowledge that God is actively directing your life toward the good end of full and final salvation. Maybe you won’t achieve or accomplish everything you’ve hoped for in this life. But if you’re in Christ then He will bring you to the best end you could have ever imagined and yet not obtained on your own.
Questions for reflection
What areas do you need God's direction for at this time in your life?
Have you oriented your life to seeking the Lord in worship, holiness and witness while you wait for His direction?
Have you become or are in the process of becoming a vital part of a church so that you can access the wisdom of the saints within that fellowship?
Do you know how to practice the biblical principles (Acts 2:42) that contribute toward consistent spiritual growth and maturity?
Do you understand that God offers wisdom for the purpose of training us how to pursue godliness in whatever situation He has placed us in and not specific insight into the future details of our lives?
What are some of the small, mundane things you need to practice doing well and consistently while waiting for the Lord to unfold the next stage of His plan for your life?
Do you need the saints to join with you and call on the Lord for a particularly difficult time in your life?
Are you content with where the Lord has you now and if not are you willing to pray that God would give you an attitude of contentment?
To Him Who Loves Us..
Pastor Lance
