KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Monday, January 22, 2018
Chapters: Genesis 30-31
Message: According To The Will Of God
Hello My Friend,
Years ago I use to pray to God for a husband, one that was saved and possessed the characteristics I desired. After some time I gave up on that prayer thinking that it was just not in God’s will for me. Then about three years ago something incredible happened, I met a guy that possessed the very characteristics that I stopped praying for, only one thing, while he is saved, he has been out of church for a while. Convinced that it was God that brought us together, I told this man that God brought us together and he would be my husband one day, and while we are not married yet, for some reason we have this bond that cannot be broken, trust me, we both tried. Well, it has been a roller coaster of a ride, and I know the reason, God is working on him, and He is also working on me, one thing I can say about all this is that everything that is in the will of God comes in His time. “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” – I John 5:14-15.
“if we ask any thing according to his will,” The thing about God’s will is that it often comes with challenges, and let me tell you you will learn that if God has brought you to it He will see you through it, and He will bless you along the way as well. When Jacob fled to his uncles house after he had deceived his brother he really had no idea what would become of himself, but some incredible things happened, he met the love of his life only to be deceived by his uncle, yet he worked fourteen years so that he could marry her, the problem was, he was also married to her sister and that made the sisters envious of each other.
“And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun. And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah. And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach: And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son.” – Genesis 30:1-3,9.20-24.
“Rachel envied her sister;” God has always made it to be one husband for one wife, but people are going to do what they want, yet He still used this situation for good as these children would become the promised seed that would make up the Hebrew nation, from which Jesus would descend. God could have just used Rachael for Jacob to have all these sons, but He used this whole messed up situation to not only teach Jacob a thing or two, but also prove that His will always prevails. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” – Romans 8:28-29.
“to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Here is the key, God will use any situation in order to bring us to the realization that He is not only the source of our prosperity, and to bring others to that realization as well. When we are in the will of God others get blessed as well, and they know it too, Laban was blessed tremendously when Jacob was serving him, but now the time had come for him to leave, yet Laban still pressured him to stay, fulling knowing it was God that blessed him. Jacob being the deceiver that he was chose to deceive Laban before taking off with his family and more than half of the cattle.
“And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake. And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it. And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me. For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also? And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock: I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.” – Genesis 30:27-32.
“I will again feed and keep thy flock:” Jacob did not want wages, he wanted Laban’s substance, probably because he was deceive by him in the first place with Rachael and Leah. The strangest thing about God is that, even when we are not in His will He continues to bless us, none of this was God’s will for Jacob, yet He still used it for good, the main reason is so that not only Jacob, but Laban would see His grace and turn solely to Him. God’s will teaches us to turn away from the world and rely solely upon Him for their blessings. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” – Romans 12:2-3.
Jacob upon hearing that Laban’s sons found out his scheme, decided to take off and head back to Canaan, he gathered his wives, children, and possessions and took off before anyone could find out they were gone.
“Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels; And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan. And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father’s. And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled. So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead. And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled. And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead. And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?” – Genesis 31:17-23,36.
“So he fled with all that he had;” Those who were born in God fearing homes from birth are truly blessed, and while a few go on to serve the Lord all their lives, many never realize that blessing and get caught up in a mountain of sin that they rarely get out of. How does this happen? One can never comprehend just what Jesus did for them and why they are saved until they get into something that only God can save them from. God’s will will never take us to places that would bring us to sin, and it will never take us away from Him. We are not always going to be in the will of God, but He never stops working on us, we may get frustrated, confused, impatient, and make some bad decisions, but even that is used so that we not only become a reflection of Christ, but that we become the influence others need to turn or return to Him. “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” – I Corinthians 10:11-13.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach: And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son.” – Genesis 30:23-24.
Today’s Prayer: God, With our many attempts to do the right thing in seeking Your promises we often fail, in fact, hinder You and slow down the process. Yet You remain faithful to us, never leave nor forsake, no matter how many times try to do things on our own. Lord, thank You for Your endless mercy and grace, for loving us despite our falling short of Your glory, and for sending Your Son to save us. Help us to look to You, to study Your Word, not only to know Your ways, but to see the lessons You give from ordinary people just like us who also failed in their own attempts. Since You work everything out good, help us to learn from our mistakes and understand just what blessing we have as You work in us to do Your will in us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://readytofollow.com/
Receive The KJB Daily Devotions In Your Email: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
Missed A Message: https://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/
Visit I’m Following Jesus: http://imfollowingjesus.com/index.html
Like I’m Following Jesus On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/byhisstrength
Copyright © 2018 I’m Following Jesus, All rights reserved.