I have times of profound fatigue that interrupts my desire to write. Beloved, thank you for hanging in there with me. As you know, we moved to Mansfield, Missouri and I am a California girl at heart. As a child, I lived in Dodge City, Kansas, where we had really cold weather in the winter but we moved to California when I was a teenager.
If you are reading the chronological Bible, you are reading in the book of Job. If you are reading the one year Bible you are still in Genesis. Today I want to pick up from where I left off. The reading is Genesis 30:25 through Genesis 31.
Jacob devises a plan to have his father-in-law pay wages for his work. He doesn’t want money, he wants sheep. He knows Laban and so he offers to take only the speckled, spotted, stripped sheep. Then before the plan can start, the brothers take the sheep ahead of the time. But God blesses Jacob and the sheep that were born were speckled, spotted and or had stripes.
When God is involved in your plans, you prosper. We read this in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to give you a hope and a future.
As the sheep were born to bless Jacob, strife occurs. Jacob’s father in law resents his success. So Jacob prepares to leave his father in law to return to his homeland. He moves them on a day Laban is not at home. Rachel and Leah agree with the move but Rachel takes her father’s idols with her.
Laban finds out and pursues them. However, he has a dream and is told to not harm Jacob. He catches them and asks why? Why did you leave in secret and why did you steal my Gods.
Jacob denies the stealing of the gods and admits he was afraid. He allows Laban to search for the gods. Rachel sat on the gods and Laban did not find his idols.
Jacob has the last say about how he spent twenty years serving Laban. In the end, they make a treaty and a truce is put in place. They shared a covenant meal together.
Have you a family member that has treated you poorly?
Father God, be with each of us in the dynamics of our families. In Jesus name. Amen.
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