Wednesday
Read: Genesis 29:31—30:24
SOAP: Genesis 30:22–24
Then God took note of Rachel. He paid attention to her and enabled her to become pregnant. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Then she said, “God has taken away my shame.” She named him Joseph, saying, “May the Lᴏʀᴅ give me yet another son.”
Devotion:
There is nothing we can do to interrupt the plans of God, but sometimes our choices make things more complicated. In our reading today we meet Rachel and Leah, wives to Jacob. Jacob had done his fair share of manipulating. He tried to help God fulfill His plan by cheating his brother, Esau, out of his birthright and the blessing of their father. In order to flee Esau’s wrath, Jacob traveled to Haran to find a wife among the daughters of his uncle Laban.
When Jacob arrived, he saw Rachel at the well, fell in love with her, and offered to work for Laban for seven years in exchange for marrying her. At the wedding feast, Laban tricked Jacob and gave him Leah, Laban’s eldest daughter, instead. Jacob married Rachel as well a week later and then continued to work another seven years for Laban for his second bride. (The drama!)
Rachel was loved by Jacob; Leah was not. The Lord had compassion on Leah and allowed her to have four sons. Jealous of her sister’s growing family, Rachel attempted to build a family through her maidservant. Her servant bore two sons for Jacob. But then Leah’s servant bore Jacob two sons, and Leah herself gave birth to two more boys. It was not until after Jacob’s eleventh child was born that Scripture says, “God took note of Rachel” and she had a son of her own, named Joseph.
Unlike the story of Hannah, there is no mention of Rachel praying, pouring her heart out to God, or working to have faith in the midst of her suffering. Instead, she told her husband, “Give me children or I’ll die!” (Genesis 30:1). Even in the mess, God was still an active part of her story. God paid attention to her and gave her a son of her own. After her first son was born, Rachel declared that God had heard her prayers. God is the hero, not Rachel, her feeble plans, or her husband. God heard her cries, and He alone received the glory.
God hears our cries, too. Even when we think our way or our timing is best. Even when we act out of fear instead of faith. God has a purpose for our lives, and our attempts at shortcuts and detours will not derail what He has planned. Let us humble ourselves under the hand of the One who hears our cries, handing all our worries over to Him, trusting in His timing and His answer.