Lessons From A Servant

Day seventy –seven

Life is presenting some interesting challenges lately.  I am definitely being stretched and molded, which brings with it some less than pleasant side effects, but I know that it’s important for my personal growth.  My prayer this morning was focused on perspective.  I thanked Him for all He is doing in my life and I asked Him to help me throughout the day to see things through His perspective as it relates to me and those around me. 

Genesis 24

This chapter is about finding a wife for Isaac.  Abraham, Isaac’s father, does not want his son to marry a daughter of the Canaanites (Gen. 24:3), there is a lack of priesthood among the Canaanites, so he calls on one of his servants to travel to the country of Abraham’s relatives in search of a suitable wife for Isaac (Gen. 24:4,10).

I really enjoy this story because it is filled with lots of lessons to learn; each character provides an opportunity to see the events in a different way.  What you take from these verses depends on the point of view you take when you read it.  I would like to focus on the servant.

He is not a prophet, or a church leader, he is just a regular guy.

He believes in God [He makes an oath with Abraham in the name of the Lord (v 3). He prays to the Lord (vv 12-14).  He praises the Lord (Gen.  24:26-27)].

He is trustworthy [This servant is the foreman over all of Abraham’s properties and concerns (Gen. 24:10)].

He wants to do his best [What if the woman will not come? (v 8)].

He is loyal [Hinder me not…that I may go to my master (Gen. 24:56)].  

These are just a few of his characteristics. The thing is; this description could fit many people, even you and me, which makes him easy to relate to.  It is this ability to relate to the servant that makes him so important. 

 This regular guy has been entrusted with the great responsibility of finding a suitable wife for another man, the son of his master.  His mind must have been racing with questions such as: How will I recognize her?  What if her family won’t let her go? What if I take her back and they don’t like her? 

Take a moment to think about your life, you have probably experienced moments when you were asked to do something that was really important and was filled with all kinds of opportunities for something to go wrong.  Did you have questions floating around in your head too?  I know I’ve been there!      

Abraham’s servant is wise, and realizes that he cannot do this on his own, so he turns to God.  He comes up with a plan, shares it with God, and before he is even finished with his prayer it is being answered!  It is answered in a way that every part of his plan is fulfilled. There was no doubt where the answer came from; he knows that it was God who answered his prayer.

It is important to recognize that the servant didn’t dump his problems on God, but thought it through first, then asked God to help.  He received the help because his plan was in tune with God’s plan.  I sometimes forget to come up with a plan and I just ask for the help.  When I do that I am skipping a step, trying to take a short cut, and that’s not how it’s supposed to work.  I need to rethink my strategy.   After my scripture study I began to think about the prayer I had offered this morning, it was lacking in the planning department.  The question popped into my head:  How much easier would it be to recognize the Lord in the answers to my prayers if I come up with a plan?   

That’s the best part of reading the story from the servant’s point of view: If this could happen to a regular guy like the servant, is it possible for me to have a similar experience?  The answer is yes!  If we follow the pattern shown by the servant, the Lord will bless us too, and like the servant, we have the chance to receive answers that are doubt-free.   Chances are the Lord is just waiting for us to share our plan!