“Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord, saying, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.”” (Genesis 24:26–27, NIV84)
When Abraham was getting old, he desired his son Isaac to be married. Abraham wanted to be sure that Isaac was settled down and had a family and future. In Genesis 24, Abraham explained a plan he had to secure a faithful wife for Isaac. He asked his servant not to seek a wife for his son out of the faithless Canaanites of the land (Genesis 24:3). Instead, the servant was to seek a wife for Isaac from among Abraham’s distant relatives (Genesis 24:4). By doing so, Abraham hoped that not only would Isaac have a suitable wife, he would have a wife who worshiped God.
Initially, the servant was not convinced he could complete the endeavor. He asked Abraham if a woman would even leave that land to travel back for Isaac (Genesis 24:5). Abraham explained to the servant that God had plans for Abraham’s sons, so God would want the search to succeed. With these words, the servant was persuaded. He promised to complete the arduous task, traveling to a distant land in search of an elusive wife and family (Genesis 24:9).
After a period of searching, the servant asked God for help. When in the general area of Abraham’s distant relatives, he happened upon a well. There, he asked God for a sign. He wanted God to influence the search by showing him a woman who would be helpful in giving water to the servant and the camels he had traveled upon (Genesis 24:14). Not long after, Rebekah did exactly that. Unselfishly, she offered to bring water for the traveler and his camels. The servant traveled to Rebekah’s home and there arranged for her to be brought to Isaac to be his wife. The scripture for today contain the servant’s words of praise and worship to God for helping him in this difficult task. He was awed by God’s “kindness and faithfulness” to Abraham (Genesis 24:26). He knew for certain that God’s faithfulness was also upon him. He knew without a doubt that “the Lord had led him on the journey” and helped him along the way to a perfect conclusion (Genesis 24:27).
I want to focus on two very important themes in the passage for today. First, the servant gave thanks in prayer and praise and worship for God’s help in his difficult task. He believed that God deserved praise for watching over the journey. Second, the servant gave notice that God “led” him in that journey. God watched over and arranged for the servant to meet and notice Rebekah. When the servant didn’t know what to do, he prayed, asking God for direction. In the end, the servant could look back and see clearly God’s guiding hand.
How often do you notice God’s guiding hand leading you to places you need to go? Are you even aware of the special moments when God takes a personal interest in putting you at the right place at the right time?
While a pastor in Milwaukee, I felt this need to visit an older gentleman in the congregation. He was rather quiet and subdued about his own person life but was warm and friendly in other ways. I had a feeling he harbored some kind of pain in his past that haunted him. That day, I had felt the need to visit him. While praying, I just felt like God was pushing me in his direction. I complied. I called and stopped over by his home. There, we talked for a few minutes about general happenings in the church, when I noticed him holding back tears. I had never seen this before, so I asked him what was wrong. Though wanting to hold back, he told me about a flashback he kept having from World War Two. He was stationed in Europe. One morning, he was ordered to visit an officer. On the way, he saw four of his best friends in a foxhole and stopped to chat with them for a few moments. He went on his way and saw the officer and received orders. On the way back to his station, he passed by his friends. Their foxhole had just been shelled and all were dead. They had been hit with an artillery shell and their body parts were scattered in the snow. As the man spoke, his tears came more and more frequently. Then, finally, he said, “It’s just not fair that I lived, and they died that day. Life is so mixed up sometimes. If I would have been there just five minutes later, I would have been killed with them and I would never have had my family. I sometimes wonder about that.”
It was survivor’s guilt. As we talked further, I mentioned to him that he was still living because God had moved him on to see the officer. I believed that God had a hand in his survival that day. God still had a hand in his life. During the next half hour, we talked about all the times from that day forward that he felt God’s hand in his life, leading him. When I left an hour and a half later, the man was smiling again. I never again saw a haunted look upon his face. Seeing God’s guiding hand in his life caused him to have praise not sadness, hope not fear, peace not chaos in his soul.
I believe with all my heart that every person will experience God’s guiding hand in life. I believe God leads us in ways we sometimes can even sense openly. The servant in today’s scripture had much praise and joy for the obvious guidance of God’s heavenly hand. I hope you also are filled with praise and joy for the times you can be certain that God arranged things for your benefit or safety or His purpose.
Initially, the servant was not convinced he could complete the endeavor. He asked Abraham if a woman would even leave that land to travel back for Isaac (Genesis 24:5). Abraham explained to the servant that God had plans for Abraham’s sons, so God would want the search to succeed. With these words, the servant was persuaded. He promised to complete the arduous task, traveling to a distant land in search of an elusive wife and family (Genesis 24:9).
After a period of searching, the servant asked God for help. When in the general area of Abraham’s distant relatives, he happened upon a well. There, he asked God for a sign. He wanted God to influence the search by showing him a woman who would be helpful in giving water to the servant and the camels he had traveled upon (Genesis 24:14). Not long after, Rebekah did exactly that. Unselfishly, she offered to bring water for the traveler and his camels. The servant traveled to Rebekah’s home and there arranged for her to be brought to Isaac to be his wife. The scripture for today contain the servant’s words of praise and worship to God for helping him in this difficult task. He was awed by God’s “kindness and faithfulness” to Abraham (Genesis 24:26). He knew for certain that God’s faithfulness was also upon him. He knew without a doubt that “the Lord had led him on the journey” and helped him along the way to a perfect conclusion (Genesis 24:27).
I want to focus on two very important themes in the passage for today. First, the servant gave thanks in prayer and praise and worship for God’s help in his difficult task. He believed that God deserved praise for watching over the journey. Second, the servant gave notice that God “led” him in that journey. God watched over and arranged for the servant to meet and notice Rebekah. When the servant didn’t know what to do, he prayed, asking God for direction. In the end, the servant could look back and see clearly God’s guiding hand.
How often do you notice God’s guiding hand leading you to places you need to go? Are you even aware of the special moments when God takes a personal interest in putting you at the right place at the right time?
While a pastor in Milwaukee, I felt this need to visit an older gentleman in the congregation. He was rather quiet and subdued about his own person life but was warm and friendly in other ways. I had a feeling he harbored some kind of pain in his past that haunted him. That day, I had felt the need to visit him. While praying, I just felt like God was pushing me in his direction. I complied. I called and stopped over by his home. There, we talked for a few minutes about general happenings in the church, when I noticed him holding back tears. I had never seen this before, so I asked him what was wrong. Though wanting to hold back, he told me about a flashback he kept having from World War Two. He was stationed in Europe. One morning, he was ordered to visit an officer. On the way, he saw four of his best friends in a foxhole and stopped to chat with them for a few moments. He went on his way and saw the officer and received orders. On the way back to his station, he passed by his friends. Their foxhole had just been shelled and all were dead. They had been hit with an artillery shell and their body parts were scattered in the snow. As the man spoke, his tears came more and more frequently. Then, finally, he said, “It’s just not fair that I lived, and they died that day. Life is so mixed up sometimes. If I would have been there just five minutes later, I would have been killed with them and I would never have had my family. I sometimes wonder about that.”
It was survivor’s guilt. As we talked further, I mentioned to him that he was still living because God had moved him on to see the officer. I believed that God had a hand in his survival that day. God still had a hand in his life. During the next half hour, we talked about all the times from that day forward that he felt God’s hand in his life, leading him. When I left an hour and a half later, the man was smiling again. I never again saw a haunted look upon his face. Seeing God’s guiding hand in his life caused him to have praise not sadness, hope not fear, peace not chaos in his soul.
I believe with all my heart that every person will experience God’s guiding hand in life. I believe God leads us in ways we sometimes can even sense openly. The servant in today’s scripture had much praise and joy for the obvious guidance of God’s heavenly hand. I hope you also are filled with praise and joy for the times you can be certain that God arranged things for your benefit or safety or His purpose.