Most of the times we face rejection in the most ugliest form. Whats really difficult is to fight self-pity resulting out of rejection. The feeling of not being loved or acknowledged enough often results in rejection.
The Bible speaks of a amazing love story that begins in the chapter of Genesis 29-
(Gen 29: 16 onwards)--Now Laban had two daughters; Leah was the older and Rachel the younger. Leah had nice eyes, but Rachel was stunningly beautiful. And it was Rachel that Jacob loved.
So Jacob answered, “I will work for you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”
So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel. But it only seemed like a few days, he loved her so much.
Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife; I’ve completed what we agreed I’d do. I’m ready to consummate my marriage.”
Morning came: There was Leah in the marriage bed!
Jacob was cheated and it's bound for us to feel sorry for him.. after all he had loved Racheal.
But in all this can we shift out focus of concern to Leah- the unloved one?
Imagine a newly wed wife being rejected by her husband on the first morning. Imagine the hurt of not being 'the one'.. to add up to all the rage her husband was throwing around the house.. next in line is her father- a daughter's hero, trading her rightful position of being Jacobs wife with Racheal if Jacob agreed to work for another seven years! Imagine the pain the innocent one was going through- the one who was going to be displaced as a wife!
(Gen 29: 31 onwards)When God saw that Leah was unloved, he opened her womb. But Rachel was barren. Leah became pregnant and had a son. She named him Reuben (Look-It’s-a-Boy!). “This is a sign,” she said, “that God has seen my misery; and a sign that now my husband will love me.”
33-35 She became pregnant again and had another son. “God heard,” she said, “that I was unloved and so he gave me this son also.” She named this one Simeon (God-Heard). She became pregnant yet again—another son. She said, “Now maybe my husband will connect with me—I’ve given him three sons!” That’s why she named him Levi (Connect).
All this while our Leah is trying to get the love from her husband she deserved.. but its clearly seen that though she bore sons after sons.. that didn't get her husband to love her in any way... Finally she decided to give up and turned her eyes to GOD, When she fixed her eyes on God, the pain in her eyes was seen by God and-
She became pregnant a final time and had a fourth son. She said, “This time I’ll praise God.” So she named him Judah (Praise-God).
Judah- from where the birth of the Lion Of Judah speaks of the best Love story to have ever been seen.. To the unloved was given the promise of LOVE... from the unloved came the message of love.. God's ways are indeed greater than man can ever fathom.
So beloved, whatever is making you feel rejected right now, pulling you down, causing pain and hurt, gather it in your eyes now and fix your eyes on the Lord, make a decision to simply Praise Him and He who knows the end from the beginning will show up in His might.
Going further,
When Rachel realized that she wasn’t having any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. Racheal's desperation to become a mother is seen to the
extent that she allows Jacob to be with Leah for a night in return for Leah's sons mandrakes (known as love plant and considered for infertility).
(Gen 30:22 onwards)-- And then God remembered Rachel. God listened to her and opened her womb. She became pregnant and had a son. She said, “God has taken away my humiliation.” She named him Joseph (Add), praying, “May God add yet another son to me.”
Jacob then decides to move with his family back to his home.. Jacob did it. He put his children and his wives on camels and gathered all his livestock and everything he had gotten, everything acquired in Paddan Aram, to go back home to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan (Gen 31:17-18)
On the journey home, Racheals prayer of having another son was answered... Lilttle did she know that the gift she desperately was praying for would be the reason of her separation from the man who loved her so much.
(Gen 35:18-20)-- 18 With her last breath, for she was now dying, she named him Ben-oni (Son-of-My-Pain), but his father named him Ben-jamin (Son-of-Good-Fortune).19-20 Rachel died and was buried on the road to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem. Jacob set up a pillar to mark her grave. It is still there today,“Rachel’s Grave Stone.
We see a love story end here.. what happened to Leah? was Jacob ever able to love her? We donot know. for most of us, the story ends here..
For me, it continues...
Genesis futher in the chapter of 49 says:
It is the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought for a burial plot from Ephron the Hittite. 31 There they buried
Abraham and his wife Sarah; there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah; and THERE I (JACOB) BURIED LEAH.
And this is the amazing love story I spoke of at the start.. the Love of God towards Leah...! Leah was given the rightful position God ordained her to be at..
Nothing, absolutely nothing could change that..
So beloved, no matter what anyone has to say... it's what God has to say about you that will always take the upper hand..
In our life's, at different points, we have encountered Leah in us. Today, close your eyes and allow the Leah in you to fix her/his eyes on her maker.. allow the Leah in you to surrender to the Lord and see the way the Lord takes charge.. and our Lord who started the good work in you will not stop until He meets you to take you as "His" Forever on the clouds!
Stay blessed.
Love and prayers always.
The Bible speaks of a amazing love story that begins in the chapter of Genesis 29-
(Gen 29: 16 onwards)--Now Laban had two daughters; Leah was the older and Rachel the younger. Leah had nice eyes, but Rachel was stunningly beautiful. And it was Rachel that Jacob loved.
So Jacob answered, “I will work for you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”
So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel. But it only seemed like a few days, he loved her so much.
Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife; I’ve completed what we agreed I’d do. I’m ready to consummate my marriage.”
Morning came: There was Leah in the marriage bed!
Jacob was cheated and it's bound for us to feel sorry for him.. after all he had loved Racheal.
But in all this can we shift out focus of concern to Leah- the unloved one?
Imagine a newly wed wife being rejected by her husband on the first morning. Imagine the hurt of not being 'the one'.. to add up to all the rage her husband was throwing around the house.. next in line is her father- a daughter's hero, trading her rightful position of being Jacobs wife with Racheal if Jacob agreed to work for another seven years! Imagine the pain the innocent one was going through- the one who was going to be displaced as a wife!
(Gen 29: 31 onwards)When God saw that Leah was unloved, he opened her womb. But Rachel was barren. Leah became pregnant and had a son. She named him Reuben (Look-It’s-a-Boy!). “This is a sign,” she said, “that God has seen my misery; and a sign that now my husband will love me.”
33-35 She became pregnant again and had another son. “God heard,” she said, “that I was unloved and so he gave me this son also.” She named this one Simeon (God-Heard). She became pregnant yet again—another son. She said, “Now maybe my husband will connect with me—I’ve given him three sons!” That’s why she named him Levi (Connect).
All this while our Leah is trying to get the love from her husband she deserved.. but its clearly seen that though she bore sons after sons.. that didn't get her husband to love her in any way... Finally she decided to give up and turned her eyes to GOD, When she fixed her eyes on God, the pain in her eyes was seen by God and-
She became pregnant a final time and had a fourth son. She said, “This time I’ll praise God.” So she named him Judah (Praise-God).
Judah- from where the birth of the Lion Of Judah speaks of the best Love story to have ever been seen.. To the unloved was given the promise of LOVE... from the unloved came the message of love.. God's ways are indeed greater than man can ever fathom.
So beloved, whatever is making you feel rejected right now, pulling you down, causing pain and hurt, gather it in your eyes now and fix your eyes on the Lord, make a decision to simply Praise Him and He who knows the end from the beginning will show up in His might.
Going further,
When Rachel realized that she wasn’t having any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. Racheal's desperation to become a mother is seen to the
extent that she allows Jacob to be with Leah for a night in return for Leah's sons mandrakes (known as love plant and considered for infertility).
(Gen 30:22 onwards)-- And then God remembered Rachel. God listened to her and opened her womb. She became pregnant and had a son. She said, “God has taken away my humiliation.” She named him Joseph (Add), praying, “May God add yet another son to me.”
Jacob then decides to move with his family back to his home.. Jacob did it. He put his children and his wives on camels and gathered all his livestock and everything he had gotten, everything acquired in Paddan Aram, to go back home to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan (Gen 31:17-18)
On the journey home, Racheals prayer of having another son was answered... Lilttle did she know that the gift she desperately was praying for would be the reason of her separation from the man who loved her so much.
(Gen 35:18-20)-- 18 With her last breath, for she was now dying, she named him Ben-oni (Son-of-My-Pain), but his father named him Ben-jamin (Son-of-Good-Fortune).19-20 Rachel died and was buried on the road to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem. Jacob set up a pillar to mark her grave. It is still there today,“Rachel’s Grave Stone.
We see a love story end here.. what happened to Leah? was Jacob ever able to love her? We donot know. for most of us, the story ends here..
For me, it continues...
Genesis futher in the chapter of 49 says:
It is the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought for a burial plot from Ephron the Hittite. 31 There they buried
Abraham and his wife Sarah; there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah; and THERE I (JACOB) BURIED LEAH.
And this is the amazing love story I spoke of at the start.. the Love of God towards Leah...! Leah was given the rightful position God ordained her to be at..
Nothing, absolutely nothing could change that..
So beloved, no matter what anyone has to say... it's what God has to say about you that will always take the upper hand..
In our life's, at different points, we have encountered Leah in us. Today, close your eyes and allow the Leah in you to fix her/his eyes on her maker.. allow the Leah in you to surrender to the Lord and see the way the Lord takes charge.. and our Lord who started the good work in you will not stop until He meets you to take you as "His" Forever on the clouds!
Stay blessed.
Love and prayers always.
No comments:
Post a Comment