Tuesday, May 16th
Devotional written by Pastor Gina Spivey, Family Ministries Pastor
THE STORY OF LEAH
To read today:
Genesis 29, Genesis 35, 1 Samuel 16:7, Romans 8:28, James 1:16-17
Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.”
Genesis 29:32 NIV
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The story of Leah, at first glance, is one full of grief. Jacob desired marriage with Rachel, and Leah was simply a leftover. Leah’s role in the debacle of the wedding is unknown. At that time, women had little control over their lives, and it seems her father was not a man to honor the love between Jacob and Rachel. We know she was the lesser of the two wives and one Jacob did not love. She found herself in a place of utter loneliness and despair and yet was used by God as a matriarch of the coming king.
Unloved and unwanted, Leah was blessed by God with six sons and one daughter. One of those sons was Judah. Judah was listed in Matthew in the genealogy of David, King Solomon, and the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. Beyond becoming the matriarch of the most significant line in human history, she was a model of contentment and peace. Although she was in what we can assume to be a loveless marriage, she says in Genesis her son Reuben was evidence to her that “the Lord sees” and goes on to name another son, Simeon, which means “The Lord hears.” Leah was a woman used by God out of unimaginable circumstances to bring forth the Savior of the world.
Reflection: What situation can you turn over to God with contentment and peace? Ask the Lord to reveal His plan in your life, even through your insecurities and heartache.
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