Psalms 39:7 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.

We know that David had a heart after God’s own heart. In this passage, David properly describes the attitude that we all should have when it comes to waiting on the Lord. Our hope should be in the Lord and we should understand that God will bring about HIS perfect will in HIS perfect timing. If our hope is in God, our heart should not be longing for anything.

After Sarah had died, Abraham sent his servant to go find a wife for Isaac. We do not know whether Abraham told Isaac that the servant was going to find a wife for him, but it would probably be safe to assume that Isaac knew what his father was doing. Isaac had lost his mother when he was 37. Isaac missed his mother and God used his marriage to Rebekah to comfort Isaac.

Isaac could have taken his sorrow and used it to drive his desire for a wife. Isaac could have been going to the local towns looking for a beautiful woman in which to marry. Isaac could have gone out to the field to look for the return of the servant waiting for his bride to return. However, Isaac had his hope in the Lord and Isaac went out to the field to meditate. Isaac had his focus upon the things of God and it was as he was focusing upon the things of God that God brought to him his helpmate.

How many hours a day do we spend wishing for something that we desire to have? Maybe we desire a new car, or a new house, or a new job. However, it is important to understand that it is not necessarily the desires of heart that should be important to us. What should be most important to us is our relationship with God. Do we take time to get away from the things of this world in order to hear the voice of God? Do we focus upon the things God desires us to focus upon?

Isaac did not need to be worried about when he would be married because his hope was in the Lord. God knew exactly where his wife was and God knew what needed to happen. By taking his evenings and meditating upon the things of God, Isaac demonstrates the proper way to wait on the Lord.

It is easy to become so focused upon the things of this world that you lose sight of the things of God. You may say that you are being faithful in pursuing the things of God over the things of the world but if we were to weigh the time you spend thinking about the things of God and the time you spend thinking about the things you desire, it is very unlikely that you spend more time with the things of God.

If your hope is going to be in the Lord, you need to spend ample time with the Lord each day. This does not mean that you spend five minutes every night just reading a chapter from scripture before going to bed. You need to spend time with the Lord seeking out what HE desires you to do.

When you hear the word patience, it sounds like a terrible thing, like waiting at a stop light when you want to be driving to your next destination. However, patience is a gift from God, these periods of waiting are designed by God for you to take your mind off of what you desire and to put your mind upon the things of God. When you think things are not going your way, rather than spend more time thinking about what you want, spend more time thinking about God.

Job 9:12 Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?

Job has suffered much. Job has seen the death of his seven sons and three daughters. Job lost his entire wealth in a matter of minutes. Job then ended up losing his health. Although Job had lost much, he had not lost sight of the fact that God was still in control over his life.

In this passage, Job reminds us that we are not in a position to stop God from doing what God desires to do. If God wanted to take the lives of his children, there was nothing Job could do to stop HIM. Job understood that as the Creator of the entire world, God had the power to do what HE wanted when HE wanted to do it.

As we study the scriptures, we learn a very important lesson in trusting in God. What do Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, and Elisabeth all have in common? All of these women were childless and they desired a child. Both Sarah and Rachel tried to have a child using the ways of the world by giving their husbands to their servants. Both Hannah and Rebekah’s husband Isaac spent the time entreating the Lord to give them the children they desired.

All five women eventually conceived and had a child. It did not matter how many times they knew their husbands, they were unable to conceive children until God was ready for them to conceive.

While you may not be desiring a child right this second, there is probably something in your life that you desire the Lord to give unto you. What is the desire of your heart? Have you turned that desire over to the Lord and are you allowing HIM to bring it to pass according to HIS perfect will? Many of us try to help God out by using our own strength to bring to pass the desires of our heart. However, the longer you live on this earth, the sooner you will understand that it does not matter how hard you try, you will never be able to make something happen unless God allows it to happen.

You have a choice that you must make; either you try in your own strength to obtain the desires of your heart like Sarah and Rachel did, or you plead with the Lord and rely upon HIM as Isaac and Hannah did.

God had a perfect plan for each of these women and a reason why HE had closed their womb. God has a perfect plan for you and a reason why HE has chosen not to give you the desires of your heart. Job understood this principle that God was in control and Job acknowledged God’s power in his life.

When you are going through a trial that is too big for you, stop and turn your problem over to God. When you start to experience the overwhelming experience that God has forsaken you because you do not have what you think you deserve, learn to turn your problems over to God. Trust in the Lord and learn to patiently wait on HIM. There is nothing you can do other than pray that can bring a change in your life.

God hears the persistent prayers of those who are called by HIS name. God desires to draw you closer to HIM and as such, HE will bring certain trials into your life for that purpose. Regardless of what is going on around you, learn to trust in HIM and allow HIM to turn all things together for good because you are called according to HIS purpose.

Job 9:4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?

Job is answering Bildad who was trying to instruct Job in the ways of God. In this passage, Job reminds Bildad and his other friends that God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Job reminds us that those who become bitter against God do not prosper.

You will never win by hardening your heart against God. God is not going to make you love HIM, but if you chose to reject HIM, you are going to be the one who suffers. Throughout scripture, there are many examples of those who turned their back upon God and they were the ones who ended up suffering.

King Saul is an excellent example. Saul was chosen by God to be king of Israel. Saul chose to do that which was right in his own eyes and he chose to disobey God. When Saul chose to disobey God, Samuel told Saul that God had departed from him. Saul no longer heard from God and towards the end of his life, he had to go to a witch in order to receive direction.

King David was the man who replaced Saul. David also sinned against God and numbered the people contrary to the will of God. However, the big difference between David and Saul was that when David was confronted by his sin, David repented and humbled himself before God while Saul tried to justify his sin and hardened his heart.

If we were to read through the Bible and put on a scale all the sins of David that we know about, and then put on the other side, all the sins of Saul that we know about, most people would say that David was a much bigger sinner than Saul. However, when we look at their life, we see that the descendants of David became kings while the descendants of Saul became an afterthought.

The difference between David and Saul is in their attitude towards God. Saul chose to harden his heart against God and it cost him and his family. David chose to humble himself and God exalted the lineage of David.

Joseph could have hardened his heart against God because he found himself betrayed by his brothers, sold as a slaved, accused of attempted rape, found himself a prisoner, forgotten and forsaken, but Joseph remained true to God. In all his sufferings, Joseph remained true to God and God raised him up and fulfilled the vision HE had given HIM.

Daniel could have hardened his heart against God because he found himself serving an ungodly ruler in a foreign land. However, Daniel remained true to God and he watched as God gave him favor with both God and man. Daniel was able to be an advisor to four great rulers.

You do not know what God has in store for you. You will not be able to choose the trials that God allows to happen in your life, but you can choose how you respond to them. Isaac’s wife Rebekah could not conceive, but rather than sleep with Rebekah’s servant, Isaac turned his problem over to God and watched God open the womb of Rebekah.

When we face a trial, we have a choice: are we going to become bitter at God or are we going to humble ourselves and see what God is going to do through us. Rather than harden your heart against God, patiently wait on HIM and see how God is going to be glorified through you.

Galatians 4:24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

In this passage, Paul is analogizing the covenant that God made with Abraham dealing with Ishmael and the covenant that God made with Abraham dealing with Isaac. Ishmael was the son born of the slave Hagar, while Isaac was the son of Promise born of Sarah.

Paul is using the picture of Hagar being in bondage when she had Ishmael to represent the Law of Moses. The Law of Moses was given by God at Mount Sinai. However this law was not a law of freedom but was a law that contained a lot of “thou shalt not”. For the Jews, they had to abide by this very strict code in order to please God. It was a law that could not be completely satisfied. Hagar was the slave of Sarah and there eventually came a time where she was let go because she could not please her mistress.

Isaac was the promise child; he was a gift from God. While Ishmael was part son and part slave, Isaac was completely free. Paul analogizes the birth of Isaac with the Christian walk. In the same way that Isaac did not have to worry about losing his place as a son of Abraham so also, as Christians, we do not have to worry about following a complex set of sacrificial rituals in order to maintain our position as sons of God.

Because Ishmael was the son of Abraham, God promised that Ishmael would be a great nation. In the same way, the nation of Israel has a special blessing just because they are God’s chosen people. As Christians, our relationship with God is not one based upon our heritage; our relationship with God is based upon our freedom to choose to abstain from the things of this world and to pursue the things of God.

Two sons, one is blessed because he was the son of Abraham and one was blessed because he was the promised son of Abraham. Two sons, one was a son of bondage and one was the son of freedom. The Jews serve the Living God through their bondage of sacrifices and the rituals required of the Law of Moses. The Christians serve the Living God through their freedom knowing that Jesus Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Freedom is not free. The freedom we experience in Christianity is a result of the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made upon the cross. Just as Adam and Eve had the choice to sin or not to sin, so also, we have the choice whether to follow the perfect will of God or to sin and do that which is right in our own eyes. Abraham tried to make the promises of God occur in his timing rather than the perfect timing of God and all Abraham did was make a mess.

As Christians we do not have to worry about making sacrifices to atone for our sins as we know that Christ made the ultimate sacrifice. The freedom that God has given us is not to be used on ourselves and our own selfish desires. The freedom from sacrifice does not permit us to break the law whenever we want. Just because the Jews had a long list of sacrifices to atone for their sins, it did not give them liberty to break the law.

We do not want to follow the example of Abraham who was so caught up in the promise that he tried to make it happen in his own way and his own timing. We must add temperance to our life and understand that we are living in the freedom of God and that we must wait for HIS timing to fulfill the promises that HE has made unto us.

Genesis 46:3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:

Jacob was fearful about going down to Egypt. This was a huge transition for him and his family. God appeared unto Jacob in the night and spoke with him. God comforted Jacob and assured him that it was a part of HIS perfect will for Jacob to go to Egypt. God even went so far as to assure Jacob that God would continue to bless Jacob and his family while they were down in Egypt.

It was God who called Abraham to make the big move into the Promise Land and now it was God instructing Jacob to move out of the Promise Land. When speaking to Jacob, God informs Jacob that HE is the God of his father. The same God who promised his grandfather to bless him if he moved to the Promise Land was the same God who was going to bless Jacob for leaving the Promise Land. The same God who promised to bless Isaac if he did not go to Egypt during a famine was the same God who was promising to bless Jacob if he went to Egypt during a famine.

Following the perfect will of God can be very difficult at times. God does not always do what seems natural to you. Sometimes the will of God seems opposite to what HE has instructed you in the past. In order to follow the perfect will of God, you must learn to hear HIS still small voice. You must learn to hear God so that you are no longer following your natural thinking but instead are following the plan HE has for you.

When you chose to follow the perfect plan that God has for you, God will be with you and HE will bless you. The blessing of God does not mean that you will be rich and famous. God blessed the nation of Israel in the land of Egypt even though they became slaves. God was with the nation of Israel and HE enabled them to be fruitful and multiply. When they left the land of Egypt, God opened the door so that they were able to pillage the Egyptians.

As long as you think that the blessings of God means that you will be rich and famous, you will have a hard time hearing the direction of God. God is not Santa Claus, HE is not a genie who will grant you three wishes; the blessings of God may include riches and honor, but the true blessing of God is joy and peace that comes with being in the center of HIS will.

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The same God who was with Abraham, and Isaac was going to be with Jacob and his descendants while they were in Egypt. Esau was not able to avoid intermarrying with the local Canaanite women and we know that Judah also married a Canaanite woman and had his sons marry a Canaanite woman. If the nation of Israel stayed in the Promise Land, they would soon become so intermarried with the Canaanites that it would be impossible for them to destroy the Canaanites so that they could own the land.

Jacob had a personal relationship with God so he was able to hear the voice of God and following the perfect will of God. Jacob understood what God desired him to do and he obeyed. Do you have a close walk with God that you regularly hear HIS voice? Have you removed from your life the distractions of this world so that God is the most important person in your life?

Jacob was not moving to Egypt to gain material wealth; he was moving to Egypt to be in the center of God’s will. You need to add temperance to your life so that your motives with God are pure. As long as you are serving God for the right reasons, you will find the true blessing of God – the peace of knowing God is with you even when you are in the midst of the storm.

Genesis 46:2 And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.

Jacob had just received word that Joseph was alive and that he was the ruler in Egypt. Jacob could hardly believe his ears but when he saw all the gifts from Joseph, Jacob determined that he was going to see Joseph before he died. While Jacob was on the way to Egypt, God appeared to him during the night. God told Jacob that he was not to fear going to Egypt.

Even though Jacob had determined to go see Joseph, something in Jacob was causing him to fear this trip. Maybe Jacob was only going to go and see Joseph for the five years of famine and then he was going to return. God knew what was going on in the mind of Jacob and God came to Jacob and ministered unto him so that Jacob was assured of the perfect will of God.

God had told Abraham that his descendants would inherit the Promise Land after a many years in which they dwelt in the land of Egypt. Apparently, Jacob knew about this promise of God and as such, Jacob was a little apprehensive of taking his entire family to Egypt if it was not the perfect timing of God. Jacob had probably heard what had happen to Abraham when he went to Egypt during a famine. Jacob had probably also heard how God had stopped his father Isaac from going to Egypt during a famine.

Jacob was an old man, and he was picking up all of his stuff and moving to a strange land. Jacob did not know what would happen. Jacob was cutting all ties he had in the Promise Land and he was afraid because he did not know the perfect will of God regarding this situation. Jacob was simply following his heart to see Joseph once again. Was he doing the right thing?

God understood that Jacob needed guidance and that is one reason why God appeared to Jacob during the journey. God could have appeared to Jacob before he packed all his belongings but God chose to wait until Jacob had started. Jacob was ready to hear from God and when he heard the voice of God, he quickly responded.

God should be a part of our daily lives. We should be quick to incorporate the direction God has for us in our daily lives. If we go a prolonged period of time without hearing from God, we should be concerned. Until we hear from God, we should not be quick to make a major change to our lives.

God desires to direct us in the way that we are to go. As we put the things of God first in our lives, we will learn to hear HIS still small voice. There is great peace that comes when you make a major change and you know that this is a part of the perfect plan of God.

God desires to have fellowship with you. If you desire to hear God, you need to remove those things from your life that distract you from hearing the voice of God. Add temperance to your life so that you can say no to the things of this world that eat up your time so that you do not have time to draw closer to God.

Jacob had a close relationship with God. Jacob was not surprised with God came and spoke to him that night. Jacob needed direction from God and God did not let Jacob down. The things of this world may be the only thing preventing you from having a relationship with God similar to the relationship that Jacob had with God.

Genesis 32:9 And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which sadist unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:

Jacob is facing a trial that is too big for him. Jacob was returning home and he heard that Esau was coming to meet him with 400 men. When Jacob had left his father’s house, Jacob was aware that Esau was angry at him for stealing his brother’s blessing. Now that Esau was coming with 400 men, Jacob feared that he was a dead man.

Jacob did a very wise thing. Jacob stopped and prayed back to God the promises that God had given unto him. Jacob did not assume that because God had told him to return to the promise land that he would automatically live. However, Jacob reminded God that he was obeying HIM and he then proceeded to ask God to deliver him from his brother Esau.

Praying back the promises of God is an important lesson we can learn. From time to time, God will show us HIS will for our life. Frequently, God will not immediately give us that which HE has already shown us HE desires to do. Satan loves to use this time of waiting to distract you with trials and temptations. We must be like Jacob and be willing to go back to the promises of God so that we do not sin when we are faced with options.

God speaks to us today, are you listening? Are you even placing yourself in a position that you can hear the voice of God? If you are not reading and meditating upon the words of God, how can you expect to hear HIS voice? If you are not taking the time to pray to God, how can you expect to hear HIS voice? If you are not hearing the voice of God, how do you expect to be able to follow the example of Jacob and pray back the promises of God?

Jacob was not the most spiritual person in the world. As you can see by this passage, his relationship with God was because his father and grandfather both had a relationship with God. Jacob was soon going to be wrestling with God which would result in Jacob having a deeper relationship with God. However, despite the fact that Jacob had a shallow relationship with God, Jacob understood the principle that God does not lie. Jacob understood that when he prayed to God, it was best to start with the principle that God had shown him.

George Muller was a man of faith who did great things in England. When Muller asked the Lord for something, he first turned to the scriptures and found a promise from God. Now that he had heard what the will of God was for his situation, he had the confidence to go to the Lord in prayer and ask God to give him the thing that he needed.

When Jesus taught us how to pray in the Sermon on the Mount, the second element of the Lord’s Prayer is that we pray that the Lord’s will be done. How can we pray that the Lord’s will be done if we have not first taken the time to understand what the will of God is? Jesus commanded us to pray that the Lord’s will be done, this assumes that we know the Lord’s will. Thus, God desires to show us HIS will, all we need to do is ask.

We need to rid ourselves of our own plans and agendas when it comes to our prayers. If we desire to see God work in our life, we need to add temperance and put away the things of this world so that we are free to pursue the perfect will of God. Like Jacob we need to learn to start praying back the promises of God so that our faith will grow.

Genesis 30:22 And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.

It appears that after many years of personally trying to solve her problem of not having any children, Rachel finally cried out to God in prayer. Rachel had tried everything to conceive children but ultimately, it was God who fulfilled the desires of her heart.

How often are we just like Rachel? We see something we want and we do what we can in our own strength in order to obtain it. We often treat God as an afterthought. We think that God is not interested in our daily life and so we do what we want until we dig ourselves into a hole that we cannot escape.

God is our Creator and HE loves us. HE desires to be a part of every aspect of our lives. Just as God was concerned with who should be the wife of Isaac, so also, God was concerned about Rachel having children. The servant of Abraham asked God to direct his path when it came to finding Rebekah, but for many years, Rachel chose to try to conceive children by her own might.

According to this passage, it is clear that Rachel finally turned to God and asked HIM to give her a son. This does not mean that God gave Rachel a son the second she asked God for one, but it does mean that God heard Rachel and HE gave her the desires of her heart.

Have you ever been frustrated trying to obtain something that you wanted and everything you try seems to fail? Are you trying to fulfill God’s purpose for your life in your own strength? Abraham tried to have God’s promise child through Hagar and it ended up in a lot of heartache for him. Jacob stole the birthright that God had told Rebekah belonged to him, but because he fulfilled God’s promise in his own strength, he never saw his mother again and he was constantly dealing with the repercussions of his deceit.

We need to follow the example of Hannah who prayerfully went before the Lord and asked HIM for the desires of her heart. Hannah did not go out and try to find ways for God to answer her prayers, but instead, she relied fully on HIM. Scripture tells us that if we ask, we shall receive. Jesus taught that “whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” John taught us that if we ask anything according to HIS will, then HE hears us and if HE hears us then we know that we receive the petition that we desire of HIM.

It is important that we learn to rely upon HIM for the desires of our heart. Rather than waste all of our time trying to do the Lord’s will in our own strength, we would be much better off to turn to HIM and rely upon HIS perfect timing and HIS perfect way. God desires to do great things through us, but we need to be careful to submit ourselves to HIM and HIS perfect way.

Rachel tried to obtain children by her own strength and she failed. It was not until she put aside the things of the world and cried out to God that we are told that God heard her cry. Maybe one of the reasons you are not obtaining the desires of your heart is because in the back of your mind, you are still trying to obtain the good things God has for you in your own strength.

You must diligently add temperance to your life so that you can say no to the things of this world. As you allow God’s strength through you to overcome the temptations of taking control over your life, you will find a new freedom. You must learn to rely upon God so that HIS light can properly reflect through you. Do not attempt to obtain the perfect will of God in your own strength, instead, ask God and seek HIM for HE shall bring it to pass.

Genesis 30:3 And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.

Rachel is so desperate for children that she instructs Jacob to have marital relations with Bilhah so that Bilhah can have children on her behalf. Rachel’s behavior is similar to Sarah’s behavior when Sarah encouraged Abraham to go into Hagar. Both Sarah and Rachel could not have children so they went out and had children in accordance with the principles of the world.

Jacob and Rachel followed the bad example of Abraham and Sarah rather than follow the good example of Isaac and Rebekah. For twenty years, Isaac and Rebekah had been unable to have children. Rebekah did not encourage Isaac to go have marital relationships with her maid. Instead, Isaac and Rebekah came to God and looked to HIM to provide the fulfillment of the promise that HE had made.

Because Jacob was willing to go into Bilhah, he did not encourage the faith of Rachel. Jacob had the opportunity to draw nearer to God during this trial that Rachel was experiencing, but instead, he chose the easy way that the world had offered unto him. Later, when Jacob chose to leave Laban, Rachel took the false gods of her father with her. God may have told Jacob to return to the Promise Land, but Rachel had very little faith in God and as such, she brought her false gods with her.

The world will always be quick to offer you compromises so as to diminish your faith in God. When God has given you a promise, God will fulfill because God is truth and HE cannot lie. Satan knows that the best way to decrease your faith is to cause you to focus upon your own efforts and how by your own strength you brought a fulfillment to the promises of God. As long as you are focused upon your own strength, you will fail to see the hand of God.

God’s work done in God’s timing will not lack God’s provision. Rachel did eventually have children. How much different would Rachel’s faith have been had she been focused upon God to provide children for her rather than focusing upon her own efforts? Because she was focused upon her own efforts, her faith in God was weak even when it was HE who gave her Joseph.

Jacob and Rachel needed to learn to trust in the Lord with all their heart and to lean not on their own understanding. Isaac and Rebekah were a godly example of how a couple could fully trust in God to provide them children. However, rather than wait on God for HIS perfect timing, they took their own timing and insisted that God did not know what was best for them.

If you are going to completely trust God and lean not on your own understanding, than you need to put aside the things of this world and focus upon God. You must say no to the plans of this world that sound wonderful but in the end, they simply destroy your faith. By diligently adding temperance to your life, you are able to rely upon God to provide those things that HE has promised you. If you fail to add temperance, then you will be working in your own strength.

God knew the fact that Rachel was unable to bear children. God knew the envy Rachel had towards her sister. Jacob had an opportunity to draw closer to God, but instead he chose to take the easy road. God was able to use the lack of faith by Rachel and Jacob for HIS glory, but how much greater would it have been had they simply waited upon God. It could have been had they waited a little bit longer that Rachel would have had several sons rather than just the two.

Genesis 29:31 And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.

God promised Abraham that his descendants would be more than the sands of the sea. What is interesting is that Abraham’s wife Sarah was barren and only had one son. Isaac’s wife Rebekah was also barren and she only conceived once and bare twins. Now we see that the wife that Jacob loved was also barren and she only conceived two children. Naturally speaking, it sure did not seem like God was on the fast track of fulfilling HIS promise to Abraham. As far as that goes, we are only told that Joseph had two children.

We must understand that God’s ways are not always our ways. God had made a promise to Abraham but this did not mean that children were going to come easily for the first couple of generations. However, just because God was not blessing Abraham and Isaac with large families, this does not mean that God’s promise was void.

When God makes a promise, do not try to figure out how God is going to fulfill HIS promise to you. God desires that you learn to simply trust HIM and apply yourself to not leaning on your own understanding. Until you can completely release yourself to trusting fully on HIS promises, you will be creating great anxiety in your life as you try to help God fulfill HIS promises. God does not need your help, HE desires your complete trust in HIM.

Rachel was barren and unlike Isaac and Rebekah who turned to God to solve their problems, Rachel followed the example of Sarah and tried to follow the world’s ways in obtaining what she wanted. Rachel already had the love of her husband, but she did not have children which her heart desired deeply. It is clear from scripture that Jacob also desired to have children by Rachel but Jacob did not have the same relationship with God as his father Isaac had.

God desires to fulfill HIS promises in your life. When God has taken the time to show you HIS perfect will, Satan will try to attack your faith by taking your attention off the promise and instead put it upon the fact that God has not already fulfilled the promise. If you are not careful, Satan will be able to decrease your faith by simply getting you to doubt that God ever intended for you to see the fulfillment of that promise.

The longer you go without seeing the promises of God fulfilled, the more your faith will be stretched. Abraham had to wait 25 years for his promised son, how long are you willing to wait to see God fulfill HIS promise in your life? Are you going to give up right away or are you going to remain faithful to God and learn to wait patiently on HIM.

Rachel desired to have children more than she desired a closer walk with God. Rachel was serving the false gods of her father and as such, her relationship with God would have been very week. God desired to get her attention by causing her to cry out to HIM for children. This is what Hannah did and God ended up blessing Hannah with several children.

When God has shown you that HE desires you to learn to be persistent in your prayers, you must first examine your life to make sure that there is nothing in your life that is distracting you from a closer walk with HIM. As you say no to the things of this world, your prayer life should grow and you will be in a better position to see HIM answer your prayers. Add temperance to your life so that you might see the fulfillment of God’s promises in your life.

Genesis 28:8 And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father;

Esau had already married two Canaanite women. Esau observes that his father and mother send Jacob away so that he will marry a woman who is not a Canaanite. Esau realizes that his parents are not pleased with his previous selections in wives and so he goes out and marries another woman. This time Esau marries a daughter of Ishmael which he assumes his parents will accept.

Esau realized that his parents were not pleased with his initial selection in a wife so he goes out and marries a third wife without seeking his parent’s blessing. Isaac and Rebekah were involved in the selection of a wife for Jacob. They evidently knew that Laban had a couple of daughters and they felt that one of the daughters would be a suitable helpmate for Jacob. Jacob was not seeking for a wife, but his parents knew that he was ready for a wife and who would be a good choice.

Esau just went out and responded as he wished when he wished. Esau did not seek counsel and he simply hoped that his choices would be approved by others. If his choices were not acceptable, Esau simply kept trying hoping that eventually he would please others.

Scripture tells us in a multitude of counselors there is safety. Jacob had the safety in knowing that he had his parent’s blessings to marry one of the daughters of Laban. Esau because he did not seek the counsel of his parents had to hold his breath to see if his choices were satisfactory. God had given Esau parents to help be his counselor but Esau chose to ignore his God given counselors so that he could do what he wanted when he wanted to do it.

God has put certain people into your life to help guide you in the way you are to go. When you ignore those who God has given you to help you, you are going to put yourself in a position that you are going to do great harm. One of the important things that you must understand is who is a wise counselor given to you by God and who is an unwise counselor who is set to lead you astray?

Rehoboam is just one example we have in scripture who had a choice in whose counsel he was going to follow. God had given him some wise counselors who if he had obeyed would have directed him in a way to build and establish his kingdom. However, Rehoboam choice to listen to the smooth words of his close friends and as a result he lost most of his kingdom and he lost all that he was trying to gain.

Esau and Rehoboam are both examples of men who were more concerned with what they could get out of the world than they were about their relationship with God. These men had the options to make some wise decisions but instead, they chose to trust in their own power and might. Because these men refused to demonstrate self-control on their passions and desires, they ended up not pleasing anyone but themselves. They were trying to gain the attention of others, but in reality, the only person they really pleased was themselves.

Until you start adding temperance to your life and stop listening to your own mind and allow God to guide you through the counselors HE has given you, you will be prone to make the same mistakes. Temperance enables you to put aside your own will so that God can lead you in ways that you never imagined. As long as you are sure that you can see the solution to your own problems, you will never be able to live your life in a manner that is pleasing to God.

Genesis 27:46 And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?

Rebekah had just heard that Esau planed on killing Jacob. She warned Jacob that he needed to flee. Before Jacob left, Rebekah lied to her own husband by saying that she was concerned about Jacob marrying a Canaanite woman and thus created a situation where Isaac blessed Jacob and sent him away. Rebekah must have figured that if she told Isaac that Esau planned on killing Jacob because he stole his brother’s blessing that Isaac would not have pity on Jacob and thus give his blessing on sending his son away.

Whatever the reason was why Rebekah did not tell her husband Isaac the truth, we know that Rebekah compounded her sins by deceiving her husband as to her true desire in sending Jacob away. Rebekah thought that Esau’s wrath would quickly abate and he would only be gone for a short period of time. However, Rebekah died before she could send for her son again and one of the consequences of her deceitful actions was that she never saw the son she loved again.

God tells us that when a husband and wife marry, they become one. When Rebekah lied to Isaac by not telling him all that was going on, she was not only deceiving her husband, but she was damaging herself and her relationship with God. It is easy to justify your own actions and pretend that they do not affect others. If you sin, you can pretend that you are the only one who suffers but in reality, those around you suffer also.

When we lie, we are telling God that we do not trust HIM to take care of us if we tell the truth. God tells us that HE is the truth. God hates deceit and cannot have any part of it. It should be no big mystery to us why we face so many trials when we are demonstrating our lack of trust in HIM by deceiving those who are around us. Our deceit tarnishes our ability to properly reflect the light of God through our lives. God needs to bring trials into our lives to remove our blemishes so that HE can shine brightly once again.

God desires that you trust in HIM with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. If you desire to receive the blessings of God and learn to hear HIS still small voice, then you need to stop deceiving others and fully trust God with the results that might occur when you tell the truth. How many times do we get ourselves into trouble because we conjure up in our minds possible consequences that might occur if we tell the truth? Because we are thinking more about ourselves than our relationships with God and others, we quickly fall into sinful patterns.

Satan will always try to put thoughts in your mind to get you to take your eyes off of God. You must be diligent to add temperance to your life so that when you face temptation from Satan you can reject the temptation and put God and others first in your life. You must learn to control your wild thought life so that God can be glorified through you.

Rebekah chose to deceive her husband and she ended up suffering consequences as a result. Rebekah obtained what she wanted by her deceit but she did not fully anticipate all the consequences that would result by her obtaining what she wanted. You do not know what is in-store for your life, as such, you should clear your mind of the wicked influences of the enemy and you should focus your attention on doing those things that demonstrate that God is first.

Genesis 27:19 And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.

Jacob entered the tent of his father in order to steal the blessing of his brother Esau. This was not his idea, Jacob was simply following the direction of his mother. Jacob tried to argue his way out of why he should not try to deceive his father, but the persistence of Rebekah eventually encouraged him to do as his mother requested.

There are plenty of verses that one is to honor their parents, but that does not mean that one must obey their parents when the parents are directing them to do something that is contrary to the will of God. While Jacob may have tried to blame his mother for his actions, he was old enough that God would hold Jacob accountable for his sins.

When the nation of Israel sinned by believing the ten spies rather than Joshua and Caleb, God held everyone accountable for the rebellion of the people except for Joshua, Caleb, and those who were under 20 years of age. Evidently, those who were under twenty where spared the consequences of unbelief of their parents.

Jesus told us that unless we have the faith of a little child, we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. I wonder how many children had seen the parting of the Red Sea and simply believed that they should follow Joshua and Caleb rather than the ten spies. They had seen God bring water from a Rock, had seen the face of Moses after he had spoken with God, and had seen the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud guide them in the wilderness and they had the faith necessary but because they have a duty to obey their parents, they had to suffer and wonder in the wilderness. While they suffered with their parents, they did receive the blessing of entering the promise land that their parents never saw.

Jacob had a choice to make, he could follow the direction of his mother or he could do that which is right in the eyes of God. Jacob chose to follow his mother and he entered the tent of Isaac and lied to him. The second Jacob entered the tent, he was out of the presence of his mother and he could have told his father the truth. However, Jacob desired to please man over his responsibility to fear God and please HIM.

The second Jacob entered that tent and lied to his father, he committed a sin and he was going to suffer as a result of that sin. Jacob was instantly hated by his brother for stealing not only his blessing but also his birthright. Jacob had to flee for his life. Throughout the life of Jacob, we see other people doing things to deceive Jacob. Jacob sowed seeds of deceit and he reaped a harvest of the same.

Because Jacob was more concerned about a blessing that he could steal from his brother than he was about his relationship with God, Jacob sinned and fell short of the glory of God. Jacob was driven by worldly things and thus the decisions he made reflected that. Jacob needed to add temperance to his life so that he made decisions that glorified God rather than enriched himself.

Jacob lives for many more years and towards the end of his life, he reports to Pharaoh that his days were full of trouble. Jacob for many years sowed his wild oats and then had to face the consequences of his actions. If Jacob would have learned to put God first in his youth, he would have saved himself many heartaches that he never had to experience.

Genesis 27:9 Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savory meat for thy father, such as he loveth:

Rebekah had heard that Isaac intended to bless Esau. Rebekah remembered that God told her that her younger son Jacob would be blessed. Rebekah decided that she was going to take matters into her own hand and she devised a plan whereby Jacob would deceive his father for the blessing of his older brother Esau.

Rebekah knew what the will of God was, but she took matters into her own hand to help God fulfill HIS perfect will. The problem is that Rebekah attempted to do the perfect will of God in her own power and in her own way and as such, Jacob had to deceive his father. Because of the deception that was involved, there was great family disharmony that arose. Rebekah also suffered in that she died before she saw the son that she loved again.

The perfect will of God will never be fulfilled by actions that are contrary to the Bible. God is truth and as such, you cannot deceive your way into obtaining God’s perfect blessing for your life. God is love and as such, you will not experience God’s perfect plan as long as there is hatred in your life.

Yes God had promised that Jacob would be blessed, but God did not say that this was going to happen because Rebekah would come up with a plan to deceive her husband. It was God who was giving the blessing through the mouth of Isaac and God simply could have directed Isaac to give a smaller blessing to Esau.

When Jacob was blessing the sons of Joseph, Joseph had placed his sons so that the older would receive the better blessing. However, God directed Jacob to switch the blessings so that the younger received the greater blessing. Just as God directed Jacob when blessing the sons of Joseph, so likewise, God would have done with Isaac so as to fulfill his promises to Rebekah.

We need to be careful how we go about trying to fulfill the promises of God in our lives. God may take the time to show us something that is to happen in the future and just because God does not immediately fulfill HIS promises, this does not authorize us to make the will of God happen by our own means. God has a perfect timing for his perfect will to be fulfilled. Abraham had to wait 25 years for his promise son. Isaac and Rebekah had to wait 20 years before God opened the womb of Rebekah. God has a perfect plan but fulfilling that perfect plan with worldly means is not a part of it.

We must be patient not to take matters into our own hands. Satan does not like it when we hear the voice of God. However, once you have heard the voice of God, Satan will try to damage your relationship with God by causing you to become discontent. You need to demonstrate self-control and not allow Satan to win the battle over your mind. You need to add temperance to your life so that you are controlled by your passion for Christ and not by the things of this world.

Rebekah lost sight of the power of God and thus used her own strength and destroyed her family. The one whom Rebekah loved so much she had to send away in order to protect never to see again. Rebekah may have obtained a blessing for Jacob, but it cost her dearly. A lack of trust will always cost you more that simply reminding yourself that God is in control and yielding yourself to HIS perfect timing and HIS perfect plan.

Genesis 26:34 And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Berri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:

Esau is the same age as his father Isaac when Isaac and Rebekah were married. It was Abraham who sent his servant out to find a wife for Isaac and because of the faith of the servant, there was great joy when Isaac and Rebekah were married. We know that on the day that Isaac and Rebekah met, Isaac was out in the field meditating. Isaac was putting his relationship with God first, and God blessed him with a virtuous woman.

Esau on the other hand chose to go out and find a wife for himself. He apparently did not have any qualifications – all that was important to him was that he would be satisfied. Esau chose two Hittite women. The Hittite people were the locals. The fact that Esau married a couple of Canaanite women shows how little regard he had for his spiritual heritage. The Canaanites were cursed of God because of the lack of temperance shown by Ham and his son right after the flood.

It could be that Esau married these women because they were daughters of local leaders. Esau may have desired to increase his earthly power. What Esau was missing by marrying women of the world was that he was a descendant of Abraham. God had called Abraham to sojourn in the land. Esau was to be in the land but he was not to intertwine himself so closely with the Canaanites that the world would not know the difference.

The intermarrying with the Canaanites was one reason God brought Jacob and his entire family out of the promise land and sent them to Egypt. God desired to eventually utterly destroy the Canaanites. Esau had met Abraham, he was fifteen years old when his grandfather finally died. Esau had probably heard all the stories, but Esau simply refused to take hold of the promises of God and he decided he was going to fight for what he wanted.

Esau was out marrying for his own selfish interest. Esau took not only one wife, but he took two at the same time. It was traditional for kings and great leaders to have many wives. Leaders would often marry another leader’s daughter so as to consummate a peace agreement. By marrying two women from two different families, Esau was making it clear to all around that he was pursuing all that he could obtain that the world would offer him.

The actions of Esau grieved his parents. They knew the heart of their son and they understood that it was contrary to the purposes of God. Why his parents had not taken a more active role in pursuing a wife for their son, we do not know? Abraham sent for a wife for Isaac after the death of Sarah, and it could have been that Isaac and Rebekah were simply content with their family that they failed to see the needs of their son and thus guide him in a way to help him make a decision that would have been pleasing to God. Isaac and Rebekah, several years later, when they were about to lose both sons finally took an active role in finding a spouse for Jacob.

Esau needed to add temperance to his life. Yes it is a good thing to marry as God created marriage and God called it good. However, God did not create man to marry multiple wives; God made one man and one woman and called them one. Furthermore, God destroyed the earth with a flood when the sons of God were marrying the daughters of men. God had chosen Abraham and his descendants but Canaan had been cursed and as such, Esau should not have been pursuing anyone with whom he would be unequally yoked.

Genesis 26:28 And they said, We saw certainly that the LORD was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee;

Abimelech had kicked Isaac out of Gerar because Isaac was more powerful than Abimelech. After a period of time, Abimelech comes to Isaac and Isaac asks him why Abimelech had come since Isaac said that Abimelech hated him since he sent him away. Abimelech’s response to Isaac is very interesting. Abimelech admitted that he saw that the Lord was with Isaac and thus Abimelech concluded it was best that he make some sort of peace treaty with Isaac.

Abimelech knew that there was a living God by observing the life of Isaac. Abimelech had no desire to live at odds with Isaac because if Isaac decided to attack, Abimelech realized that he would probably lose because God was with Isaac. Abimelech may have made a mistake in sending Isaac away in such a matter that Isaac thought he was hated, but Abimelech came to Isaac to make a peace treaty.

If the world knows that there is a living God and that HE lives in you, they will not want to do you harm lest they have to fight against God. The problem is that the world does not always see in us a living powerful God. It was Abimelech who had caught Isaac in a lie about Rebekah being his sister. When Isaac was close, Isaac did not always demonstrate a perfect faith in God. However, as Isaac matured and as Isaac had to seek the Lord for a new place to dwell, Abimelech now saw something new in Isaac that caused him to desire to make peace with Isaac immediately.

We all sin and we all make mistakes, but it is important that we learn to reflect the light of God in our lives. God is the light and we are the diamond. Just as a diamond must be properly cut so that it will properly magnify the light, so too must God bring us through certain trials in order cause HIS light to more effectively reflect in the world around us. As we mature and allow God to work on our lives the world should see God through our lives.

When the world sees God in our lives, they should understand that if they start fighting against you they are really fighting against God. When the nation of Israel was entering the promise land, the entire nation of Canaan feared because they understood that God had given the Israelites the land. The people in Jericho shut up their gates and tried to hide from the power of God, but their plan failed. Several kings joined their forced and attempted to fight, however, when they started to lose, they fled and God caused the sun to stand still until they were utterly defeated. The people of Gibeon decided that it was better to make peace and become slaves then it was to fight against the God of all gods.

Abimelech wanted to make peace with Isaac because he saw God in him. If Isaac had been more concerned about his worldly possessions, do you think that Abimelech would have seen God in his life and desired to make peace with him? Isaac had demonstrated temperance and did not allow the things of this world to control his decisions. Because Isaac put the things of God first, God was able to work through his life to cause even his enemies to live at peace with him.

Look at your life. Are you a shiny example of the power of God? Have you allowed God to prune the things of this world from your life so that you might properly reflect the light of God? God is looking for those who will allow HIM to demonstrate to the world that HE lives.

Genesis 26:22 And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.

God was blessing Isaac to the point that Abimelech requested Isaac to move on. Isaac went out into the valley and pitched a tent and re-dug a well that his father had once dug. However, no sooner had the servant’s of Isaac finished digging the well then the surrounding herdsmen started to complain alleging that the well and the water was theirs.

Isaac chose not to fight with the herdsmen and thus he left and dug another well. However, no sooner did Isaac dig this second well and the herdsmen once again showed up and staked a claim for the water. Isaac again picked up his tents and moved on and dug another well and this time he found peace.

Isaac did not have to leave Abimelech, Isaac was mightier than Abimelech and he simply could have flexed his muscle and told Abimelech that it was time for him to move on. Isaac did not have to leave when the herdsman staked a claim for the water of the wells that he had dug. Again, he had done the work and he was a very mighty man and could have easily won a fight with the locals. However, this was not the manner in which Isaac chose to live his life. Isaac chose to live at peace and he yielded his rights and allowed God to guide him to where he should live.

Too many of us would rather stand around and pick a fight over the things of this world rather than live at peace with our neighbors. We quickly forget the great command to love our neighbor as ourselves because we are more concerned about our rights being trampled upon. We feel that we have a right to our worldly possessions and thus we will fight for something that God might be trying to take away from us so that HE can guide us in the way that we are to go.

God had a place for Isaac. This was not in the city with Abimelech nor was it in the valley with the herdsman. It took some looking and some getting over the bad actions of others. Nonetheless, because Isaac was willing to give up his rights, he eventually found the peace that passeth all understanding. God had more for Isaac but Isaac could not obtain all that God had for him until Isaac was first willing to give up those things that most people would have said he was entitled to.

As long as you insist upon your rights you will never obtain all that God has for you. When you see contention in your life, maybe it is time for you to examine your life to see if there is some right that you are holding onto that God desires for you to let go of.
Until you are willing to give up your rights to the things of this world, you will never experience all that God has in store for you. Saying no to the world will free you to more actively pursue the things of God. God desires to direct, protect, and provide for you but you first need to be willing to add temperance to your life.

Your focus needs to change from seeing what you can obtain from this world to seeing what you can give to God. Isaac was not worried about his rights and God was able to lead him to a place where Isaac believed God desired him to be. Isaac desired a home where he could live at peace and this is exactly what God gave him.

Genesis 26:7 And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah, because she was fair to look upon.

No better example can be found in the scriptures regarding the principle of the sins of a father are passed down to their children. Abraham had twice told people that Sarah was only his sister and not his wife and now Isaac is telling the men of Gerar that Rebekah was his sister.

It did not matter to Isaac that Rebekah had already given him two sons. It did not matter to Isaac that God had told him to dwell in Gerar. Isaac was in the place that God had called him to be and was married to the woman whom God had chosen for him yet he feared man and lied in an attempt to save his own skin.

Isaac is a faithful man; his name is listed in God’s hall of faith in Hebrews chapter 11. However, despite being a man of great faith, Isaac sinned and fell short of the glory of God by demonstrating his weakness in telling a lie. Isaac was not even around when his father twice lied about Sarah being his wife. Once Abraham had sinned, Satan took that stronghold in Abraham’s life and he used it as a stumbling block for Isaac.

Isaac did not have to sin and lie and say that Rebekah was his wife. Isaac could have stopped the destructive cycle of not telling the truth. However, the weakness of Abraham was passed onto Isaac who subsequently passed it onto Jacob. There are several stories of the sons of Jacob acting deceitfully: Joseph’s brothers lied to Jacob saying that Joseph was dead, Judah lied to Tamar about waiting for Shelah to be ready for marriage, and Simeon and Levi lied to Shechem about how if he circumcised himself he could marry their sister Dinah.

Isaac had lost sight of the promises of God and started looking at the potential problems that he faced. This is the same sin that the 10 spies committed when they saw the giants rather than remembered the promises of God. As soon as the 10 spies started focusing upon the things of the world, they lost their faith and they committed a great transgression against God.

It is very easy to take your eyes off of the promises of God and put them upon your problems. All Satan has to do is make you discontent about your current state of affairs. Once your attention is upon everything that you do not have, than he has you where he wants you because you are no longer focused upon God. If your focus is not upon God, Satan can easy tempt you with all sorts of temptations that you will be more easily vulnerable to yielding to.

All Isaac had to do was remember the promises of God and be bold to tell the truth trusting in the protection of God. By adding temperance to his life and refraining his mouth from speaking a lie to the men of Gerar, Isaac would have been a stronger testimony to the people in the community about a man who had totally dedicated himself to God. Once the men of Gerar found out that Isaac was just another liar, what reason did they have to believing that Isaac was a great man whom God blessed; to them he was just another manipulator who tried to game the system.

Isaac not only lost an opportunity to be a testimony but he also allowed an extension of the family sin of not telling the truth. Isaac could have added temperance to his life and continued to remain faithful to the promises of God. However, for a brief moment, Satan won the battle of Isaac’s mind and Isaac took his attention off of God and put his attention upon his own problems.

Genesis 25:22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.

For a period of time, Rebekah had been unable to conceive children. Once she was able to conceive, the babies struggled within her to such an extent that Rebekah turned to the Lord for direction. Rebekah understood that these children were a gift from God and since she was having a problem with her pregnancy, she turned to God for direction as to what she should do.

It is not our natural reaction to turn to the Lord for direction. We are a prideful people and we often try to first solve our problems with our own strength. We forget that God is in control and if HE has allowed something difficult to occur to us, he has a solution. The trials that we face are for a purpose and the sooner we learn that God is allowing something to happen to us, the sooner we can move onto the next lesson.

Because Rebekah and Isaac had spent so much time asking the Lord for children, when they had problems with their children, they naturally turned to God for the solution. When your focus is upon God to direct, protect, and provide for you, then when trials enter your life, you are more inclined to turn to God for the solution. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. If your treasure is the things of God, then your heart naturally will be looking to God rather than your own strength.

Hannah was another woman who prayed earnestly for God to give her children. God answered her persistent prayers. However, Hannah understood that the child God gave her was not her own and as such, she was willing to fulfill her promise and give Samuel back unto the Lord.

If you understand that what you have is not yours, then you are more apt to have a closer relationship with God. It is amazing what God can do through you if you would only put HIM as the center of your life. God is not the center of your life if the second something goes wrong, you start relying upon your own strength to get out of the problem. God has many blessings in store for you if you would only get out of your selfish state and start learning to rely upon HIM.

Your response to the trials that occur in your life will reveal to all the state of your relationship with God. Rebekah trusted in God so thus when she had a trial, she went and inquired of HIM. Rebekah understood that it was God who opened her womb to have children and it was God who would direct her in how to survive her difficult pregnancy.

We need to follow the example of Rebekah in this passage. Rebekah did not allow her trials to remove her focus off of God. Instead, Rebekah used her trials to draw her closer to God. When we add temperance to our life, our focus changes from our problems to the ultimate solution, our relationship with God. Until we learn to rely completely on HIM, the world will try to distract our attention with all that it has to offer. By saying no to the world, we can trust more fully in God and experience the peace that passeth all understanding.

Job understood that it was God who gave him great wealth and thus God was able to take it all away. Rebekah understood that it was God who gave her children and thus it was God who should be turned to when there was a difficulty with the pregnancy. It is God who has led you to where you are at today and as such, when you face a trial when you are in the center of the will of God, then it is God whom you should turn to for direction during this difficult time.

Genesis 25:21 And Isaac entreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

Isaac had the same problem his father Abraham had, his wife was barren. God had promised Abraham that his descendants would be too numerous to count. However, it appeared that the linage of Abraham was about to hit a dead end since Rebekah was barren.

When Abraham saw that he was not able to bare children by Sarah, Abraham allowed himself to be talked into having a child with Hagar. Isaac on the other hand turned to the Lord and allowed God to fulfill HIS promise in HIS own way. Isaac did not try to have children by a servant, Isaac remained faithful to God and in God he put his trust.

God rewarded the faith of Isaac by giving him the desires of his heart. Isaac had to spend much time praying to God, but he was rewarded by seeing God answer his prayers. We do not know how long Rebekah was barren or how long Isaac prayed before the Lord ultimately answered his prayers, but what we do know is that Isaac was faithful and Isaac saw God’s faithfulness.

What is your prayer? What are you pleading with God for? What is it that God has shown you that HE desires to give to you but you have not received it yet? Are you faithfully waiting on HIM? Are you taking the time to entreat the Lord to fulfill HIS promises?

Too often we try to help God out. There is something that we want and rather than trusting God to give it to us, we pray and then go out and see what we can do to obtain it. We blindly follow the vain philosophy of God helps those who helps themselves. This is not how God desires us to live our lives. Instead, if God has promised you something, it does not matter how difficult things get around you, you need to be faithful to HIM because God does not lie.

The problem with us is that we often become so focused upon the thing that we want that we fail to see the lessons God is trying to teach us through this time of waiting. Isaac already served God, and because of the blessings of God, Isaac really never needed something. However, all the money in the world was not going to help Rebekah conceive a child. Isaac had to learn an important lesson that the God he served had ultimate power and that Isaac needed to trust HIM.

Satan tries to get your focus upon the problem and not the solution. Satan knows that if you become so focused upon those things that God has not given you, he has a better chance of distracting you from serving God. Instead, we must learn to follow the example of Isaac and simply take the time to put the Lord first and learn to trust God for HIS provision in HIS timing.

Abraham sinned when he tried to help God out with a promised child. Abraham was focused upon himself and not the provision of God and it ended up creating a bigger problem. Isaac added temperance to his life and rather than go out and do things the world’s way, he trusted in God and allowed God solve the problem. God had made a promise, God could not lie.

Rebekah conceived due to the persistent prayers of Isaac. God allowed Isaac to travail in prayer for a period of time, but ultimately God proved HIMSELF faithful in the life of Isaac and Rebekah. God allows you to face trials of your faith so that you will have a strong testimony of God’s provision in your life. Do not give up hope just because you have not seen an answer in so many years. Instead, remember the story of Isaac and remember to be faithful in your prayers.

Genesis 24:66 And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.

Abraham had sent his servant to go and find a wife for his son Isaac. Upon his return with Rebekah, the servant takes the time to tell Isaac how God had directed his path. The servant had seen God work through him in a powerful way and the servant desired to share the work of the Lord.

God does not make mistakes. God is directing our steps and HE desires that we learn to give HIM the praise that HE deserves. Often we are so busy with our life that we fail to see exactly how God has quietly been directing our paths. Because we fail to see the hand of God in our life, we fail to share with others the power of God. Because others do not hear from our lips how God is alive and active in our lives, their faith in God is not as strong as it should be.

God did not bring Isaac and Rebekah together by accident. Isaac and Rebekah were going to have their good times and their hard times. However, when times became difficult, they could go back in their minds and remind themselves of how God brought them together. The servant of Abraham made sure that both Isaac and Rebekah knew that their coming together as husband and wife was not by some accident but was because God had directed their paths together.

Unless we stop and take the time to see how God has been guiding our paths, when the difficult times arise in our lives, we will fail to have an anchor that we can turn to so that we have hope to weather the trial. When we have taken the time to acknowledge God for different steps in our lives, when the trials come, we are less likely to abandon our faith. Praising God for HIS direction in our lives is one tool that we have to ensure that we remain faithful in the fight.

You may not have a powerful story like the nation of Israel did when they saw God part the Red Sea. You may not have a powerful story like king Hezekiah did when he saw God move the sun backwards. You may not have a powerful story like Isaac and Rebekah did when they saw how a simply offer to water camels resulted in a marriage. While you may not have some great and powerful story of how God has directed you, God still has directed your path and it is up to you to see the hand of God in your life.

God moves in many different ways. You cannot limit God. God spoke to Joseph through dreams yet he spoke to Samuel in a clear voice. God led the nation of Israel by a pillar of fire and he got the attention of the apostle Paul with a blinding light. God called Moses into the ministry by using a burning bush yet he called Elisha into the ministry by having Elijah put his cloak upon him.

It does not matter how God is directing you, you need to stop and take the time to acknowledge the hand of God. Satan desires to distract you with the things of the world so that you fail to make time to give God the glory for what is going on in your life. If you do not add temperance to your life, you will fail to see the hand of God and then you will fail to acknowledge HIM for HIS direction in your life.

If you do not take the time to establish mental altars in your life of acknowledging the direction of God in your life, then when the trials come, you will flounder in the faith. The servant of Abraham made sure to acknowledge the hand of God so that Isaac and Rebekah would always remember that theirs was a match made in heaven.

Genesis 24:63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.

Isaac understood the importance of getting away from the distractions of this world in order to obtain a closer walk with God. In this passage, we see that Isaac was out in the field meditating. Isaac is not covered too deeply in the Bible, but in this one verse, we learn a lot about Isaac.

Isaac is the promised son of Abraham. Abraham is a man of great faith. We read references throughout scripture about God being the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. It is in this passage that we understand that Isaac was not just serving the God of his father, but that Isaac understood the importance of maintaining a personal relationship with God.

Back in the camp, there were many distractions. However, we do not find Isaac in the camp. We find Isaac in the field meditating. Isaac made an effort to leave the distractions of this world in order to go to a field to be alone with God.

When was the last time you went out to the field to meditate? It appears that Isaac made a regular practice of getting alone with God. When you are at home or you are at work, the entanglements of the things of this world will distract you from properly maintaining your relationship with God.

We know Isaac was still mourning the death of his mother Sarah. Isaac probably was remembering the good old days when he had a mother that loved him. However, just because things were not as great as they should have been in his mind, Isaac remained faithful to God and he trusted that God would meet his needs.

Isaac did not go out and try to find a way to satisfy the longing that he now had that his mother was dead. Isaac did not see what cures the world could give him to help him drown out his difficulties. Instead, Isaac turned to God and he buried himself in his relationship with God and he allowed God to satisfy his needs.

It does not matter what your need is, God is able to satisfy your needs. The world tells you that it has a quick fix for your problems, but the world’s solution is never quick and it never fixes the problem. The only way that you are going to see a true answer to your problems is if you can learn to turn your problem over to God and learn to trust completely in HIM.

The world is not the solution. You need to get away from the influences of the world if you desire to find true freedom. Isaac found that the field was a great place to meditate and it was in the field that he was able to fully focus upon God and leave the cares of this world behind him. Where is your place that you can go to in order to meditate upon God? Where is the place where you can exercise temperance and completely block out the influences of this world?

You will never find true freedom from this world as long as you never give yourself a break to simply go and seek God. Isaac had a real relationship with God because he made his relationship with God a priority. You need to make a decision, just how important is God going to be to you? Are you going to do what it takes to put God first? Are you going to seek God or this world for the solutions to your daily problems? Isaac choose to put God first and God brought him Rebekah to comfort him.

Genesis 24:56 And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.

Are you a hindrance to others fulfilling the will of God for their lives? The servant of Abraham had just finished sharing how God had revealed to him that Rebekah was the one whom he was seeking to bring back to Isaac. Rebekah’s family agreed that the thing was of the Lord and that Isaac and Rebekah would be married.

No sooner did they agree that Isaac and Rebekah were to be married then the family decided that they wanted ten days to say their farewell to Rebekah. This sounds like a reasonable request since it was likely that they would never see Rebekah again. However, the servant saw this request simply as an obstacle between him seeing the fulfillment of his mission in finding a wife for Isaac. The servant had a job to do and he wanted to finish that job faithfully.

It is easy to look at what is going on in your own life and try to give advice to others. You see what seems logical to you and it is easy to assume similar facts for others. As such, because we are not looking at others trying to love them as ourselves, it is easy to be a hindrance to another.

God was working and everyone recognized what God was doing. Rebekah’s family was thinking about their own needs and desires and had very quickly lost track of what the Lord was doing at that time. Abraham’s servant was wise to see that God was blessing him and as such, the servant wanted to keep moving while God was blessing him.

Joshua understood this principle when he was defeating the enemy in the Promise Land. One day the Israelites were having a great victory and Joshua saw that there was not going to be enough time in the day to utterly defeat the enemy. Joshua understood that God had called the nation to defeat the enemy and if the enemy were allowed to escape by night, Joshua would have to prepare the army to fight another day.

No doubt Joshua remembered what happened at Ai where the sin of one man caused the entire army to lose a battle. The army was prepared and God was blessing, there was no better time than the present to fight the Lord’s battles. Joshua saw God cause the sun and the moon to stand still so that the Israelites had time to utterly defeat the enemy.

When the Lord is blessing you with a time of rich fellowship in the word, this is the time to spend more time in the word, not less. When you are experiencing the blessings of the Lord in a part of your life, this is the time to continue to pursue the blessings of God.

Too often, we see the Lord’s blessing and we simply stop. We thank God for what HE has given us and we stop pursuing what all God has for us. Because of the pressures of the things of this world, we become satisfied with just a small blessing of God. Instead, God desires that we learn to pray for rain during the time of rain.

Do not let the things of this world distract you from fully pursuing all that God has for you. By adding temperance to your life, you can say no to the joys that the world tries to offer you so that you can draw closer to God and enjoy all that God desires you to have. Learn to pursue God while HIS voice is strong because the things of this world will soon distract you and it will be hard to get your mind back in the condition that you hear HIS voice so clearly again.

Genesis 24:40 And he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father’s house:

The servant of Abraham has arrived at the house of Rebekah but before he eats, he insists that he share with her family what the Lord has been doing and how the Lord had guided him to their house that night. The servant is quick to acknowledge that it is the God of Abraham who has directed him to their house to request that Rebekah become the wife of Isaac.

In this passage, the servant is quoting Abraham. Abraham had instructed the servant that God would send an angel to guide him to find the wife for his son. Abraham understood how God guided him to the promise land and Abraham understood the importance of Isaac having a godly wife. When Abraham sent the servant, he believed that God would lead the servant where he should go to select the perfect woman for Isaac.

Abraham had seen how the Lord had led him and Abraham had faith that the same God who led him from place to place was able to open the eyes of his servant also. The servant may not have had the same relationship with God that Abraham had, but Abraham blessed this servant and encouraged him to simply rely upon God to direct his path. Abraham was helping his servant to grow in his faith by teaching him how to follow the direction of God.

The servant was able to pray in faith because he understood that the God of Abraham was guiding his steps. The servant had success because Abraham took the time to plant and develop the seed of faith in his servant.

The conversation in this passage was a critical moment in the whole love story of Isaac and Rebekah. Abraham could have said many things including giving the servant permission to take Isaac. However, Abraham was a man of faith and he stopped and took the time to educate his servant upon the power of God to guide and direct. Because Abraham took the time, we see how God brought the servant to Rebekah in such a miraculous way.

Abraham could have been busy counting his sheep or numbering his oxen. Abraham could have been distracted by his wealth or solving problems among his servants. There were many things that could have prevented Abraham from taking the time to educate the servant in this important lesson of faith that God would be with the servant, but Abraham chose to not let those things distract him and instead made sure he invested time in the life of the servant.

There will often arise teaching opportunities where we can share with others examples of what God has done in our life to help encourage others in their faith. If we are distracted by the things of this world, we will quickly miss those opportunities and we may watch as someone fails to concur in the faith. However, if we add temperance to our life and thus are quick to see the opportunities that God is bringing into our lives to help others, than we can be encouraged as we watch others grow in the faith.

Abraham had seen the faithfulness of God so he was able to encourage the servant to be observant to the guidance of God in this important task. Because Abraham took the time to instruct the servant, not only were Isaac and Rebekah married, but also everyone involved was encouraged to here the testimony of faith of how God worked everything together.

Genesis 24:19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.

Abraham’s servant had just prayed and asked God to show him the girl that he was supposed to take back with him to be the wife of Isaac. Rebekah knew nothing about the prayer of this stranger; all she knew was that this strange man ran up to her asking her for a drink. Upon fulfilling his request, she offers to also draw water for this man’s camels. Little did Rebekah know that this was the magic language that she needed to say in order to reveal to this servant that God had selected her to be the wife of Isaac.

Rebekah did not go to the well that day in order to find a husband. Rebekah was not out looking for ways that she could increase her standing in world history. Rebekah was simply doing her duty of bringing water from the well for her family’s consumption. While Rebekah did not have any great plans that day, God used her virtuous behavior to be an indication to all that God had chosen her to be the wife of Isaac, the daughter-in-law of Abraham, and in the lineage of Christ.

Rebekah was ready and willing to serve the needs of others. She did not know this stranger but she saw that he had a need. Rebekah was willing to go out of her way to help this stranger and God blessed her.

We know that this was the time of day that the virgins come and draw water. Rebekah probably had several friends who she would meet once a day at the well where they would talk about their lives and their dreams. By agreeing to water the camels this day, Rebekah was not going to have time to talk with her friends, instead, she would be focused upon the needs of others and putting others before herself.

Rebekah was blessed of God because she put others before herself. Rebekah was not afraid of the extra work that would be required of her by volunteering to water the camels. Rebekah had plenty of plans and responsibilities, but she put this all aside because she understood that it was more important to serve others than it was to follow her own personal agenda.

How many opportunities have we passed up because we are so caught up in our personal agendas that we failed to receive something special that God had for us? Something came up, and rather than stop and working with another person to help them out in their time of need, we made excuses and continued on our own agenda. You do not know what God might have had in store for you had you only stopped and been faithful to minister to the needs of others. Because Rebekah stopped, God had a faithful husband ready for her.

If it is about your agenda and your schedule, you will never receive the additional blessings that God may have in store for you. If your focus is upon yourself, you will walk right by the opportunities that God has perfectly designed for you to minister to the needs of others. You must learn to temper those selfish thoughts that drive you to pursue your own agenda.

By adding temperance to your life, you can focus on this life from God’s perspective rather than the perspective of this world. Rather than seeing people who are getting in your way of you rising to the top, you will see people with needs that God has placed in your life so that you can meet. If God gives you the time and HE gives you the bucket, be ready and willing to offer to draw water for the camels also. Let God worry about the results.

Genesis 24:14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast showed kindness unto my master.

The oldest servant of Abraham was sent to find a wife for Isaac. When the servant had reached his destination and it was time to start looking, he started out by praying to God for a special blessing on the entire process. This servant knew he was going to be asking a difficult think and as such, he asked God to give him special confirmation so that he knew who the right young lady was to ask.

We often talk about the great faith of this servant to have such boldness to ask God for such clear direction to his mission. However, this servant’s great faith is really a reflection on Abraham. This servant was the oldest servant in the house of Abraham. He had served Abraham for many years and had personally witnessed the faith of Abraham. No doubt that this servant had been around long before Isaac was born when Abraham first told Sarah that God had promised them a son. This servant had probably seen Abraham go through many trials but had seen how God had seen him through them all.

This servant understood that the faith of Abraham was real. Just by being around Abraham, this servant could not help but also have great faith. Some servants may have chosen to remain faithful to their false gods, but this servant had seen how God had changed the life of Abraham and this change affected his own life.

Many parents often wonder what happened to their wonderful children after they left the home. The problem was that the children saw that the faith of their parents was not as real as it should have been and thus, when it came time to make their own decisions, they chose not to live what they thought was a life of hypocrisy. These children concluded that their parent’s faith was not the real thing so that when they went out into the world, they chose not to fake something that they did not have.

The servant of Abraham knew that the faith of Abraham was the real thing. Thus when he was sent out on this all important journey, he had no problem talking directly with God. This servant was willing to step out in faith so that God could be glorified through him. The faith of Abraham had not only affected his own life, but it had also touched the life of those around him.

If you are busy living half-heartedly for the kingdom of God, those who are around you will see your hypocrisy. While you may be able to fool your pastor or the elders of your church, you will not fool God and you will not fool your family. You do not have to be perfect parent to raise Godly children, but you cannot afford to be a lukewarm Christian. By adding temperance to your life, you can say no to the things that water down your faith. By demonstrating some self-control to pursue the things of this world, you with strength your faith and increase the desire in your children to follow in the same faith.

The servant of Abraham had great faith because he had seen Abraham live this same faith. This servant was willing to ask God for a great miracle because he believed that God would answer his request. We have much to learn from both the life of Abraham and his servant.

Genesis 21:9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

Ishmael and Hagar were about to be kicked out of the protection of Abraham. On the day that Isaac was weaned, Abraham put together a great feast. Sarah had always been jealous of Hagar, and Ishmael but today was the day that everything fell apart; Ishmael was mocking Isaac. Sarah saw this mocking and it did not please her. Abraham spoke with God and God said that Abraham was to send Ishmael and Hagar away.

Ishmael was the son that Abraham tried to beget as a result of him doing things the world’s ways. At this time Ishmael was approximately 16 years old. Because Ishmael mocked Isaac, he was kicked out of the tent of Abraham and he and his mother were forced to go out and fend for themselves. Isaac was the promise child and it was through Isaac that God was going to create HIS chosen people.

Ishmael probably could have resided in the tent of Abraham for many more years. However, Ishmael made the fatal mistake of mocking Isaac. Ishmael might have argued that it was only done in sport, or that he was just trying to have a little fun; but Sarah did not think it was funny and she was quick to defend her helpless baby.

Ishmael may have thought what he was doing was permissible, but he was not careful to ensure that those around him took his actions in the same spirit. Because Ishmael was under the protection of Abraham, and because Sarah did not approve of Ishmael’s behavior, he was left to fend for himself.

We must remember that other people cannot read our minds. This means that they cannot properly judge our actions in the same way we see our actions. As such, we need to be careful that we do not offend others by our behavior. Ishmael suffered some consequences to his actions that he never anticipated. So likewise, you might lose the respect of others simply because others do not read your mind and they do not have the same temperament.

As you interact with people, if you are one who likes to laugh and make lots of jokes, you need to be careful. If you are going to love your neighbor as yourself, you need to first know your neighbor well enough to know that your actions will not offend them. Just because you come from a family of jokesters, it does not mean that everyone was raised the way you were raised. You must use discretion so as to demonstrate love to your neighbor.

There are a lot of things that we like to do, but in order to show love to your neighbor as ourselves, we sometimes need to hold up. This requires that we demonstrate self-control by saying no to our personal desires in order to say yes to loving others as ourselves. By adding temperance to our daily walk, we give ourselves the tools we need in order to live our lives devoid of offenses to those around us.

Ishmael had a great setup; his father was the head of the whole camp. However, because Ishmael did not show temperance to his actions, he found himself out of the camp having to fend for himself. Ishmael had to now find his own food, he had to make and mend his own shelter, and he was without the protection of Abraham. Ishmael made a bad decision and it ended up costing both him and his mother. Be careful and do not make the same mistake.

Acts 9:13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem.

God had just appeared to Ananias and told him to go and pray for Saul that he might receive his sight. Ananias did not want to have anything to do with obeying God. Ananias heard the direction of God but he loved his life more than he desired to obey God. God was asking him to do a difficult thing which surely would result in his death.

God had already told Ananias that Saul was blind and that he was praying. God had already told Ananias that HE had already shown Saul that Ananias was the man who would appear. Nonetheless, Ananias was ignoring the words of the Lord and simply was being distracted by what he believed. Ananias heard the name Saul and immediately figured that any contact with this man would be a suicide mission.

Ananias most likely would have heard the stories of how God Peter and John from prison and how the religious leaders could not do them any harm because God was protecting them. Ananias was living during a time where many powerful miracles were being conducted all around him. Nonetheless, Ananias was questioning the direction of God because he was not comfortable with what God was telling him to do.

God did not give up on Ananias but firmly told Ananias that he had chosen Saul to do great things and to suffer much. Ananias was smart enough not to argue with God twice and he obeyed God. Ananias went to Saul, healed him, filled him with the Holy Ghost, and baptized him.

How often are we like Ananias where we hear the direction that God has for us and we immediately question it? The reason we question the direction of God is because it is not what we would have initially picked. The ways of God are not naturally our ways. God was asking Ananias to do something that seemed to put his very life on the line. As a Christian, Ananias had dedicated his life to the Lord and should have been willing like Stephen to lay his life down so that God might be glorified through him.

It is real easy for the things of this world to become more important than the things of God. Anything that comes between us and serving God is a stumbling block. Jesus once was approached by a man who felt the calling to follow Jesus. However, the man requested that he first be allowed to go and bury his father. Jesus told this man that he should let the dead bury the dead. Apparently, the father was not dead yet, so this man was simply putting off following God until some undetermined time in the future. God was calling this man now, but he was putting a relationship above the calling of Christ.

You are to add temperance to your daily life. This means that you must demonstrate self-control and not allow the things of this world to control you. Yes you live in this world but the world is not to control you. If God asks you to give up a major position or do something that seems to put your life at jeopardy, you need to quickly obey God just as Abraham did with Isaac.

What a blessing that Ananias was about to miss out on because he was not willing to fully trust God. What blessings have you missed out on because you started second guessing the will of God for your life? Trust in the Lord with all your heart and be quick to put the things of God first in your life.

Acts 5:17 Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation,

The power of God was being demonstrated through the life of Peter. People were lining up the streets so that the shadow of Peter might cross over them and they might be healed. Peter was an extremely popular individual in that people were flocking to Peter to be healed or released from demonic spirits.

However, while Peter was popular with the people, he was not popular with the religious leaders. The religious leaders saw how everyone was flocking to Peter and not to them. With Peter so popular, the religious leaders influence over the people was greatly diminished. The religious leaders were more concerned about their own power and prestige then they were about what God was doing with the nation of Israel.

The religious leaders did not love the Lord with all their heart. If they did, they would not care who was the most popular with the people, they instead would be more concerned that God was showing HIMSELF real to the people and that the people were drawing near unto God. The religious leaders had their traditions and they did not like how Peter and the apostles were steering people away from those traditions and their power base.

The religious leaders loved their own power more than they loved the Lord. When something came between them and their power, we quickly learned what exactly the god was for the religious leaders. The religious leaders were tested and they failed.

You too will be tested by God on many occasions as to who exactly is most important in your life. God tested Abraham when HE had Abraham take his only son Isaac up onto the mountain to sacrifice him. Abraham proved that God was the most important thing to him.

Job also faced a great test when he lost his wealth, health, and family. Even though his wife gave up hope, Job remained faithful and because he understood that God was in control. It would have been easy for Job to start focusing upon all the things that he lost. Instead, Job remained focused upon God and God blessed job for his faithfulness.

Nothing should come between you and your God. This means that you need to examine your life and see what might be in your life that distracts you from having a closer walk with HIM. Temperance requires that you stop yielding the things of this world so that you are free to fully serve God. There are some things in this world that you cannot live without; however, that does not mean that you start holding them in greater importance than God.

God needs to be the most important thing to you. This means that nothing can come between you and God. The religious leaders claimed that they were serving God, but we all see that their power was more important to them then their relationship with God. It is easy to deceive others with your words, but your actions will quickly reveal what is most important in your life.

Do not be like the religious leaders who became so caught up with the things of this world that they failed to see the power of God moving all around them. The religious leaders missed so much because they were so concerned about their own life. Add temperance to your life so that the things of this world do not cloud your spiritual vision.

Proverbs 19:14 House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD.

Isaac inherited all the riches of his father Abraham. Isaac did not have to work to obtain that which his father had already earned. Abraham had other children whom he gave a small inheritance to, but to Isaac, Abraham gave most of everything that he had. While Isaac obtained, wealth, tents, and servants from his father it was the Lord who brought him his wife Rebekah. Isaac obtained riches because of who is father was, but the wife he received was the result of the prayers of one of the servants.

Rebekah may not have been raised the same as Isaac; she was not almost killed by her father on an altar. However, Rebekah understood who God is and when God enabled her to conceive and she was having trouble with the pregnancy, she turned to God and asked HIM to show her what the problem was.

As you study the scriptures and read the stories of those who were unable to have children, you see impatience. These women did not want to wait anymore and some of them like Sarah and Rachel tried to have children using segregate mothers. However, with Rebekah, we do not see the same impatience. Scripture gives us very little details about how long Rebekah was unable to have children. All we know is that she was able to conceive once and that was after the prayers of Isaac.

Rebekah was a wise woman who understood that God had performed a miracle by allowing Abraham and Sarah to conceive Isaac in their old age. She had probably been told that through Isaac, God was going to make a great nation. While Rebekah could not conceive, she was not quick to go find ways for God to do his job, instead, she trusted in God and saw God fulfill the desires of her heart. Isaac may have obtained great wealth from his father, but the wife that he received was given to him by God. God arranged things so that Isaac and Rebekah were married.

There are some things that you can inherit from your parents. Solomon obtained a kingdom, great wealth, and a vision from his father. However, Solomon was not wise when it came to selecting a wife for himself. Solomon did not turn to God and allow God to show him the woman who God desired for him to marry. Because Solomon did not marry properly, the women that he married turned his heart away from the Lord.

Solomon obtained a lot from his father, but when he chose to marry, he made the decision of his own accord. How much different would the reign of Solomon and the nation of Israel have been had he simply gone to the Lord and allowed God to show him the woman whom HE desired to be his wife. Solomon trusted the Lord for wisdom to rule the people but he could not relinquish to God the choice of who his wife was to be.

Whether you are married or single, you need to trust God to direct you in the way that you are to go. Of your own strength, you cannot make the wisest decisions. God has certain people that he would like to bring into your life to help guide you and cause you to draw closer to God. However, if you act like you are in charge of your life, you will be the one who suffers. You need to take the time to add knowledge of the ways of God so that you have a better understand of how God is using others in your life to draw you closer to HIM.