January 11 - Genesis 30:25-31:55

Good morning everyone,

In today’s reading we will find that shortly after Joseph was born Jacob had had enough and was ready to go home. In chapter 31 he loads up his wives, his children, all his possessions and livestock to secretly head back to the land of his father. Unbeknownst to Jacob, Rachel had taken a god from her father’s house and hidden it in the pack her camel wore. When Laban was told Jacob had fled he took of after them, caught up to them and questioned Jacob as to why he left the way he did and why did he take the idol. Jacob tells him he left the way he did because he did not trust Laban to let him go and he also told him he had no knowledge of any idol being taken and encouraged Laban to search all the tents if he wished for it. That is exactly what he did however when he gets to Rachel’s tent we will see how well she has learned from her father and lies to him so he does not find the household god.Eventually all hard feelings are soothed over. Jacob and Laban make a treaty and each go their own ways though not before Laban has one final act of control. 

Though we are all selfish in our own ways, some are a little more selfish than others. Laban’s whole life was one of self-centeredness. His main goal in life was to look out after himself, controlling others to achieve the goal. Even when Jacob out maneuvers him by taking off, Laban has to have the final power play and gets Jacob to promise he would be gone for good.

I guess what we could see here is that we are all to some degree selfish like Laban. We all want to be the ones calling the shots,  it is very difficult for us see our own errors and equally as difficult to admit when we are wrong. Pride will raise it’s ugly head when we don’t get our own way, and we are capable of doing some not so pretty things. I would encourage us all to pray to God and ask Him to reveal any selfish pride the enemy has locked away in us, subtly disguised, camouflaged as something other than what it is, sin. Because you see sin creates distance between us and our God who wants only to be close to us.

I pray you have a great day wherever you are,

God bless you all.