Friday, August 21, 2015

Genesis 24:57-58 -- On Choosing to Go

"And they said, We will call the damsel, and inquire at her mouth.
And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man?  And she said, I will go."
Genesis 24:57-58


When Abraham was getting old, he sent his most trusted servant back to his former country to find a daughter for his son.  This is towards the end of that story.  As the servant arrives in Abraham's old home town, he comes to a well and he makes a deal with God.  If he asks a girl for a drink and she not only gives him a drink, but also waters all of his camels, then that is the one chosen by the Lord.  And so it happens, with the first girl he asks.  And he asks her who she is, and finds that she is the descendant of Abraham's brother.  He goes to her house and tells her father and brother about his task, and the deal which he made with the Lord, and they agree that it is from God, and that she should go.  Before he leaves though, her mother and brother asks if she can stay longer, and the servant says no... I need to return.  And that is when they call Rebekah herself to see what she says.
I think this kind of thing happens to all of us.  Sometimes our future seems out of our control, and things are moving too fast. One day we are just fetching water and the next day we are getting married to a stranger.  Even when we know it is from God, change is hard, and we don't always have a say in it.  Jobs change, health changes, other people make choices, and sometimes we're standing and watching it all happen to us and it can be a little overwhelming.  I'm impressed with the bravery and faith of Rebekah here, when she was finally asked, in agreeing to venture out into an unknown life less than a day after she met the man that she was going to travel with, and never having met the person she was going to marry.  She believed that God had a plan for her, and she is willing to act on it with very little transition time.
Today, when it is our turn to speak in the middle of the chaos, and when we get to make even small choices about our lives, let's be as faithful and as brave as Rebekah was.  Let's trust in God's plan for us, and let's embrace it and choose it for ourselves.  Let's not rebel for the sake of rebellion, or delay God's plan because we need to get used to it.  Let's jump in and take that step into the unknown, trusting that God will help us as we choose to go.

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