Genesis 31

What goes around comes around. Fate. Karma. Do we really believe that stuff? We could certainly proclaim that Jacob deserves his father-in-law! But we also realize that mankind is sinful. And we understand that we often end up modeling what we’ve experienced. That’s certainly true with Rachel, who learned theft and deception from her father. Rachel may have even justified her theft to some degree, since both she and Leah felt neglected and abused by Laban (31:14-15).

Let’s remember that Jacob definitely isn’t a paragon of virtue and righteousness. When God is protecting Jacob, God’s doing it because he’s made certain promises and plans. He’s protecting His own name. Jacob certainly isn’t! Not only doesn’t his household follow God, when Jacob swears an oath, he has to do it before the name of his father’s God (31:53). 

Thought for the day: Is your allegiance to God your own, or are you simply going through the motions because of someone else?

Mark 12:30 (WEB) ” ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’ “