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.

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 26:7 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.

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

When you add knowledge of the ways of God to your life, then you understand how God expects you to live. Not only do you read the commands of Christ on how to live, but you can also study the life of Christ and see how HE fulfilled the commandments that he gave to you. It is your duty to understand the ways of God, ignorance of the ways of God will not be a valid excuse come judgment day.

In this passage we are told that we are to be peacemakers. This means that we should be looking to settle disputes rather than stir them up. We should not be quick to go to court with our adversary but instead you try to settle the matter peaceably. We should not be looking to stir up fights with others, but instead should be looking to cause peace.

Jesus Christ did not come with a sword to rid this world of its sinners. The day will soon be here when Christ will come to fight, but at this time, we have an obligation to God to love our enemies as ourselves. You would not go out and take a sharp knife and cut yourself, so also, to be a peacemaker, you cannot do to others what you yourself do not want to have happen to you.

You do not want others to speak ill will of you, so why should you talk about them behind their back. You do not want others to single you out and make fun of you, so why do it to them. You do not want to be left alone in a crowded room, so do not do it to others. A peacemaker understands that it is not all about them, but that there are things more important than having their own way when they want it.

Rebekah was not a peacemaker. Rebekah had heard that her husband Isaac was going to bless her firstborn Esau. Rebekah remembered the words of God how Jacob was to rule over Esau. Rather than allow God to take care of giving Jacob the proper blessing in accordance with the word of the Lord, Rebekah took matters into her own hand.

It was God who opened her womb to enable her to have children. It was God who spoke with her and told her all about the two boys. But when she made Jacob steal the blessing from his older brother, Rebekah was acting on her own accord. Rebekah ended up not seeing her son Jacob again. Shortly after her deception, it became clear that her son Esau desired to kill Jacob. Rebekah ended up taking matters into her own hands and she ended up starting a family fight that would last for generations.

Right after Judas betrayed Jesus in the Garden, Peter pulled his sword out and cut off the ear of a servant who was at hand. Jesus immediately rebuked Peter and then proceeded to heal the same individual who was there to cause him harm. Jesus understood that HE had to suffer for righteousness sake. Jesus understood that HE needed to be an example to us of how we are supposed to live our lives. Jesus had all power, but HE yielded that power so that HE might live at peace with man, even though these same men were out to destroy HIM.

We understand that we are not loving our neighbor and living our life as a peacemaker because the world will love us and return the favor. We live our lives in accordance with the word of God so that the light of God reflects through us and so that the world sees that we are different and thus understand that we belong to God. We do not live our lives as a peacemaker because it is fun, we live our lives as a peacemaker because it draws the attention of the world to HIM.

Proverbs 20:18 Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.

What steps do you go through before you purpose to do something? If you were to purchase a house, you probably would talk to many people about the neighborhood, the house itself, whether you could afford the house, and appraisers to see if the house was a good purchase. You see the purchase of the house as a major purchase and thus you would go through many counselors to ensure that the purchase was in your best interest.

God uses people in your life to guide you. If you do not seek the counsel of others, how do you expect God to use others to direct you? You have a duty to take the time to seek the counsel of others before you act too hasty. Granted, you cannot let others to direct your every step, but instead, use counsel to help confirm the will of God in your life.

Moses was called of God to go into Egypt and lead the nation of Israel into the Promise Land. Moses however first went to his father-in-law and received the blessing of Jethro before he obeyed the Lord.

Rebekah had just been approached by a man she had never met who told a wild story about how God had picked her to be the wife of a man she had heard about but had never met. This man lavished great riches upon her. However, Rebekah allowed her family to confirm the will of the Lord in her life before she set off on a great journey.

Ruth had recently moved to the nation of Israel with her mother-in-law Naomi. Ruth had done some research and had discovered that she was entitled to glean after the reapers. Ruth first approached her mother-in-law to seek her counsel before Ruth went out and started supporting them by her gleaning.

You cannot rely upon others to direct you in the way that you are to go because others can very easily lead you astray. The purpose of wise counsel is to confirm the will of God for your life as you have already sought and discovered the will of God. If you have not taken the time to seek what God would have you to do, you really do not have the right to be asking others what they think you should be doing.

Rehoboam was faced with a difficult decision. However, Rehoboam did not go to the Lord and see what God desired him to do. Instead, Rehoboam only went to the advisors of his father and then his friends. Rehoboam had conflicting counsel so he thus selected the counsel that sounded best to him. Rehoboam would have been better off had he first sought the Lord and then come to everyone saying that this is something God seems to be leading him to do and to ask them if they confirmed it.

You must take the time to surround yourself with wise counselors. Listen to those individuals who God has placed in your life. Are they saying the same thing that God appears to be telling you? If so, the will of God is confirmed and you better start acting.

You must take the time to add knowledge of the ways of God to your life. As you understand who God is and what HE desires you to do, then you are in a position where HE can direct your paths. Use those individuals God has surrounded you with to confirm in your life what the will of God is for you today.

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.

Proverbs 18:15 The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

Will you obtain the knowledge of the ways of God? Have you established your path so that you might obtain a closer relationship with God?

Would Columbus ever discover America had he simply dreamed about it back home in Europe on his bed? Until Columbus was willing to put action to his dreams, he never would have found America. Granted, Columbus was looking for a trade route to India, but instead he found new countries in which to conduct trade in.

 A wise man will seek knowledge of the ways of God. They do not always know how God will lead or how everything will fall into place. However, because their focal point has become seeking knowledge of the ways of God, God has promised that they will find what they seek after. Exactly how God will bring everything to place may not be known today, but God will reveal it in HIS perfect timing.

Isaac and Rebekah desired children. Isaac prayed to God and God eventually allowed Rebekah to conceive. However, something was not right with her pregnancy. Rebekah cried out to God to show her why she was having such complication. Because Rebekah sought an answer from God, God revealed to Rebekah that there were two nations in her womb. God revealed deep truths to Rebekah because Rebekah turned to HIM.

The wise men came seeking the One whom was born king of the Jews. They expected to find a baby sleeping in a palace but instead found him born to peasants. This misconception by the wise men did not persuade the wise men not to worship the one whom they sought and they still offered expensive gifts as if the King lived in the palace of a king.

When we seek after the ways of God, God will guide us where we need to go. We do not always know where the perfect will of the Lord will be, but that is not our responsibility. It is our duty to seek after the knowledge of the ways of God. As we study the scriptures, we give God the ability to open our eyes and to reveal to us the truths that HE needs for us to understand.

God had some very difficult trials that HE needed Joseph to face. However, before HE allowed Joseph to start facing those trials, HE first gave to Joseph a couple of dreams so that Joseph would have the courage to remain faithful regardless of the circumstances that he faced. Joseph had knowledge of the ways of God for his life and because of this knowledge, Joseph was able to avoid sinning even though he was faced with great temptation. It was also because of this knowledge of the ways of God that Joseph was able to forgive his brothers for the wickedness that they had done unto him.

You will be a bitter individual if you allow the circumstances around you to mold you into the person that you are. Instead, if you focus your attention upon God and seek knowledge of what HE is trying to do through you, you will obtain the peace that passeth all understanding. God has a purpose for everything that HE allows to happen and the more you understand who HE is and what HE is doing, the easier it will be for you to accept the will of God and to reflect the light of God to the world. You are wise if you start setting aside the time to seek after God. When you seek after God, you will find HIM.

Proverbs 16:9 A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

As you meditate upon the desires of your heart you come up with certain plans and ambitions for your life. While these plans do not always result in the perfect plan for your life, you must understand that if your heart is right towards God, this is just one of the ways that God can use to direct your steps.

Moses is an example of a man who did not like seeing the injustice that was happening to the nation of Israel. It did not matter what position he held, Moses heart told him he had to do something. Little did he know that 40 years later the Lord would direct his steps to come and lead the nation of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

The servant of Abraham was instructed to go find a wife for Isaac. The servant devised a plan in his heart that the virgin whom he asked to give him some water and she volunteered to water his camels also be the right woman for Isaac. This was a plan devised by the heart of the servant, but God used that plan to direct the steps and to unite Isaac and Rebekah.

Nehemiah heard about the walls of Jerusalem being destroyed and instantly his heart desired to do something about it. As Nehemiah fasted and prayed, God moved the heart of the king to give Nehemiah permission to go to Jerusalem and to repair the ways.

One of the most important things you can do is to ensure that your heart is right before God. If you have a heart that is right towards God, then God can move on your heart to give you certain desires and ambitions. As you learn to delight in the Lord, God will direct your steps in accordance with the desires that HE has already given to you.

However, if your heart is not right towards God, Satan will try to control your heart with things that are not pleasing towards God. As you start praying for the things that Satan has filled your heart with, God will not direct your steps that direction and you will be disappointed and discouraged that God is not answering your prayers.

Remember that it is God who created your heart, why should you be surprised when God uses the desires of your heart to give you direction regarding the way that you are to go. If you spend your time ensuring that your heart is pure towards HIM, maybe the Lord has already given you the direction that you are to go based upon the desires of your heart. Maybe you already know what the Lord desires you to do and as you pursue that path, God will start opening doors.

What are the desires of your heart? Start pursuing the desires of your heart to see if this is the direction that God has for you. God may have already given you the direction you need to start preparing so HE can start opening the doors in your life. You do not know when God is going to open the door for you to start seeing the fulfillment of the desires of your heart, but you can start preparing now to ensure that you are ready to be used of God as HE has already directed you.

If you would like to see that the desires of your heart are fulfilled, then you must first take the time to ensure that your heart is right towards God. You must daily spend time drawing closer to God so you learn to hear HIS still small voice. As you spend time adding to your knowledge of the ways of God, God will be able to use your heart to start directing your path long before you actually receive the direction to go and serve HIM in a certain way.

Proverbs 14:8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.

Are you a wise man or are you a fool? Jesus told us that a wise man builds his house upon the rock while the fool builds his house upon the sand. The house in this illustration is none other than your life. You may not be able to pick your parents, where you were born or raised, and many other circumstances, but you can choose whether you accept Jesus as your personal Savior and you can choose how you respond to trials and temptations that arise in your life.

A wise man will take the time to understand the ways of God. A wise man understands that when he adds knowledge of the ways of God to his life, he will be in a better position to see the direction that God has for him. However, if he chooses to live moment by moment doing that which is right in his own eyes, than his life will be unstable and he can be easily destroyed by the storms of life.

David was a man who had a heart after the heart of God. David learned at a young age that God desired him to be king. David did not receive a crown right away, but instead, David faced many storms. However, because David trusted in God and understood what God had promised him, he was able to maintain his faith even though he faced many difficult storms.

It was because of the time that David spent with God that gave David the strength to persevere through the persecution of Saul. David had to do much soul searching while he waited on God. Nonetheless, God fulfilled HIS promises and David was rewarded for patiently waiting on God.

Jacob was a foolish man; he was a master of deceit. Jacob deceived his father in order to obtain the blessing of his brother Esau. Jacob did not have faith that when it came time for his father to bless Esau that Isaac would bless Esau in accordance with the promises that God gave to Rebekah when she still carried Esau and Jacob in her womb.

Jacob had probably been told by his mother that God had told her that the nation that would come from Esau would serve the nation that came from Jacob. However, even though Jacob and Rebekah knew the ways of God, they acted foolishly by taking matters into their own hands. One of the consequences of their deceit is that Jacob had to flee for his life and when he returned 20 years later, his mother was dead.

God does not need your help in bringing HIS promises to past. God did not need Abraham to sleep with Hagar in order to conceive a promise child. God did not need David to kill Saul in order for the throne to pass to David.

You must act with wisdom in understanding the ways of God. As you see the path that God has for you, be patient and allow HIM to bring it to pass. Do not try to obtain the things of God by the methods of this world. Instead, allow God to manifest HIMSELF in your life in such way that the whole world knows that you serve a living God. Be a wise man and study to understand the direction of God. Do not be a fool and do that which is right in your own eyes.

Proverbs 12:5 The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.

If all of a sudden other Christians could read your thoughts, what would they think? Would they see that your thoughts were pleasing to the Lord, or would they be shocked at the filthiness of your mind?

You understand that God has instructed you not to take HIS name in vain. You also understand that there are certain activities that are an abomination to the Lord. However, it is very easy to convince yourself that as long as no one knows what your thoughts are, you are not hurting anyone and thus it is permissible to think whatever you want whenever you want.

The ways of God are not the ways of the world. God will hold you accountable for every thought. You do have control over your thoughts and God will judge you one day for the things that you meditated upon in secret. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus did not just condemn adultery, but HE also taught that thinking lustful thoughts is also adultery.

God has set a high standard for your life. Rather than say that God is being too legalistic and establishing your own guidelines to live your life by, you need to realize that you must learn to fill your mind with the things of God so that Satan does not have the ability to fill your mind with things of this world. Satan would love nothing more then for you to fill your hours entertaining yourself so that you do not spend as much time reading the Bible and drawing closer to God.

The day Isaac was introduced to Rebekah, we find that he was out in a field meditating. Isaac had probably had a long day at work, but rather than sitting around the camp fire telling stories with the servants, Isaac made an effort to be alone with God and draw closer to HIM. It was because of this relationship with God that when his wife Rebekah was unable to conceive, he was able to talk with God and intercede on behalf of Rebekah and himself that God should give them children.

If the world were able to see your thoughts, would they still think that you are a Christian? Are you proud of some of the thoughts that go through your mind? The same Jesus who died on the cross to cleanse you from your sins is the same Jesus who died so that you could be free from the bondage of your mind. You do not have to let Satan have control over your mind. You do not have to think such sinful thoughts.

When thoughts enter your mind that are not pleasing to the Lord, you need to confront those thoughts immediately. This means that you cannot sit back and simply meditate upon those thoughts but you must immediately start spiritual warfare and take every thought into captivity.

It is important how you spend your time. Satan will try to convince you that it is permissible to splurge every now and then. Do not allow Satan to win the battle over your mind. This means that you need to daily be adding knowledge of the ways of God to your life. The more time you spend thinking about the things of God, the harder it will be for Satan to win the battle over your mind.

Proverbs 2:1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

You understand that as a Christian you are to add knowledge of the ways of God to your life. You also understand that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. In this verse, we see the first two things that we are to do if we desire to understand the fear of the Lord and to obtain knowledge of God.

The first step that you must take if you desire to understand the fear of the Lord is that you must receive HIS words. This first step is not very difficult. It simply requires that you recognize the Bible as the words of God. You need to accept the words of God as the final authority in your life.

The second step that you must take if you desire to understand the fear of the Lord is that you must start hiding HIS commandments in your heart. David told us that Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. (Psalms 119:11). You hid the commandments of God into your life by meditating upon them and making them a part of your life.

Anyone can read the commands of God, but if all they do is read them and quickly forget what they read, then what value was that time that they spent reading? Anyone can memorize the commands of God, but if all you do is quote a verse and do not take the time to understand its meaning, then what value was there in memorizing those verses? Granted, the fact that you are reading and memorizing the scriptures is better than a lot of things that you could be doing, but if you desire to obtain knowledge of the ways of God, then you must go beyond just reading and memorizing.

Meditation is the tool that you have in order to hide the commands of God into your heart. You start out by reading the scriptures. After you read a scripture, in order to meditate, you must then take the time to memorize the scripture. Now that you have memorized the command of God, you are ready to start meditating upon it. When you meditate, you read the verse in context, you study what various words in the verse mean, and then the most important step, you start applying the verse to your daily life. This means that you are personalizing the scriptures; you are allowing the words of God to change you.

Christians love to find excuses as to why they are too busy to take the time to meditate upon the words of God. However, if you desire to obey God and add knowledge to your life, then you must learn to engraft the word of God into your life. Isaac was a lonely man after the death of his mother. It appears that one way Isaac dealt with this loneliness was to go out into the fields and meditate in the evenings. We do not know what Isaac was meditating upon, but we do know that it was during this time that he was putting God first that God brought Rebekah to him. The problem that Isaac had was solved not by going out and trying to solve a problem, it was solved by God while Isaac was putting God first.

Is meditation a part of your daily life? Are you taking the time to receive the words of God and make them an important part of your life? These are only the first couple of steps that you must establish your life around should you desire to have the fear of God and a more perfect knowledge of the ways of God. Satan is going to put a lot of obstacles into your path to try to prevent you from drawing closer to God. However, you must be persistent in putting God first.

Acts 27:12 And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter;

Paul was a prisoner being taken to Rome. Along the way, he advised Julius, the centurion who was in charge of him, that they should not proceed because if they did, there would be much damage, not only to the ship but also to those on board. Julius chose to follow the advice of the master of the ship because his arguments seemed logical. The ship was not in a protected port, and if they hurried, they could reach a protected port where it would be easier to spend the winter.

Paul may have had a close relationship with God, but it was logic that drove Julius to make the decision that he made. It appears that Julius did not have a personal relationship with God. Why should he listen to an illogical argument of Paul compared to the perfectly logical answer of the one who makes his living sailing the seas? They say hindsight is always 20/20. Because Julius and the master of the ship chose to follow a perfectly logical solution, there was much destruction to the ship and the cargo.

How often in your life do you follow the example of Julius and the master of the ship? How often do you allow yourself to be guided by logic? You have a decision to make, and you do not understand the will of God so you simply make the most logical decision. Just because one choice is logical, it does not mean that it is the best option or the option that God desires you to take.

You must remember that God desires to be involved in every aspect of your life. This is why HE tells us to seek HIM and we shall find HIM. Julius was not even asking for direction from God, but the direction God desired Julius to go was made clear to him. However, Julius did not understand how to hear and respond to the voice of God and as such, he made a wrong decision.

When the servant of Abraham was commissioned to find a wife for Isaac, he turned to God. Before he started seeking, he prayed to God to direct his steps. God heard the prayer of the servant of Abraham and sent Rebekah. This servant understood that God directed the steps of man. He had seen God work in the life of his master Abraham and thus when he was on his own, he turned to God to show him the perfect woman for Isaac.

God directs in many ways. When you do not know which way to go, do not chose the most logical path and proceed. If you are faced with a choice and you do not know the will of God, stop and pray. Let God direct your path. What if the servant of Abraham had not prayed? What if he just went into town and looked for the girl whom he thought was the prettiest or the girl from the wealthiest family in town. If the servant had done this, it is very possible that the girl would have rejected moving to a strange land to marry a man who had no home. The servant would have been very frustrated and would have come home with no wife for Isaac.

You cannot live your life on this earth simply by logic. Instead, you must take the time to add knowledge of the ways of God. Do not be quick to make decisions, instead, be willing to stop and pray and seek God and the direction HE would have you to go. Logic is not the tool that will save you. Instead, the only thing that will help you make the right decisions in life is a close relationship with God and your ability to hear HIS still small voice.

Acts 23:16 And when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.

Forty men entered into a conspiracy that they would not eat or drink until they had killed Paul. However, what these men had plotted together in secret, God revealed in the open. God enabled the nephew of Paul to hear the plot of these men.

God could have come to Paul in a night vision letting Paul know that there was a plot to kill him. However, this was not the way that God chose to work in this situation. If God had spoken to Paul in a night vision, the chief captain may not have believed Paul. However, because there was a human witness, the chief captain was probably more willing to act in accordance with the news.

What are the odds that the nephew of Paul was in a position that he heard the plot of these 40 men? It is so easy to attribute chance encounters like this to luck. However, it was just as much a miracle for God to orchestrate the direction so that this young man heard the plot as it would have been for an angel of the Lord to appear to the chief captain and tell the chief captain to get Paul out of Jerusalem.

When we have a chance encounter, we often take it for granted or laugh about it. However, this is not a chance encounter; God does not allow anything to occur by accident. God knows how to work in the hearts of man so that the information comes out that needs to be brought to the light. God knows what is best for you. HE knows what information you need in order to stay in HIS perfect will. HE knows what events must occur in your life so that you go where HE desires you to go and you stay when HE desires you to stay.

The next time you have a chance encounter; do not chalk it up for chance. Stop and thank God. Thank God for directing your steps. Thank God for bringing this person or this bit of information into your life. Stop and ask God why HE brought this chance encounter into your life. Rather than just chalk it up to chance, take the time to see why God allowed this to happen and how God might be directing your steps.

What were the odds that Rebekah would be the first woman to show up at the well upon the arrival of the servant of Abraham? How many other young ladies lived in this town and would go to the well to get water? The servant of Abraham was going to ask each of them for a drink of water until one of them offered to water the camels also. However, God did not make the servant wait for too long, but instead, brought Rebekah right away.

What are the odds that when the daughters of Jethro were watering their flocks and the shepherds came to drive them away, that Moses happened to be at the well at this time? Moses was wondering in the wilderness yet he happen to stop at this particular well, and he happened to be there when the daughters of Jethro where in need of help. God used this chance encounter to introduce Moses to the woman who later became his wife.

There is no such thing as a chance encounter. If you are diligently studying the ways of God, if you are adding knowledge of the ways God works, you will start thanking God for such events, and you will start asking God what HE is trying to show you through these encounters. God does not make a mistake; learn to give HIM the credit that is due HIS name.

Acts 10:19 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.

God orchestrated this meeting between Peter and Cornelius. God desired that Cornelius and his household be filled with the Holy Ghost and be baptized with water. God started by working on the heart of Cornelius to send for Peter and then HE worked on the heart of Peter to go to Cornelius. God orchestrated this meeting so that HE would receive the glory.

Have you ever had a chance meeting with someone where God used them to touch your life? Have you ever had a chance meeting with someone one God used you to minister unto them? It could have been on a plane, at the grocery store, or even at a park. No matter where the chance meeting occurred, it was not luck that caused that meeting to occur. God knew that one of you had a need and HE knew that one of you were spiritually ready to help meet that need so HE orchestrated your lives so that your paths crossed. As one of you was obedient to God, God received the glory.

Was it simply chance that caused the servant of Abraham to pray to God that the young lady who was to be the wife of Isaac would volunteer to water the camels also? Was it simply chance that caused Rebekah to go the extra mile and volunteer to water the camels when all she was asked to do was give a drink to the servant of Abraham? We know that the servant of Abraham prayed and God directed his steps. We give glory to God for how HE orchestrated the marriage of Isaac and Rebekah. We know that this was not a simple chance meeting, but that it was God above who used people to bring this couple together.

You do not live in a world of chance. God created this world with exacting detail. HE did not make a mistake in any of the details of your life. HE gave you the parents that you have for a reason. Where and when you were born was not a mistake. God gave you the siblings that you have and all of your mental capacity. Everything about you has a purpose; it is not by chance.

When God brings you into contact with another person, you need to stop and consider what the purpose of God is for this chance meeting. Is there a message from God that you can say to touch this individual? You need to be quick to allow God to use you. In your conversations with others, share the testimony of the things that God is doing through you. As you demonstrate your willingness to share your testimony with others, God will bring people into your life who are going through similar trials and God will use your boldness to encourage others to do that which is right in the eyes of God.

You must diligently add knowledge of the ways of God to your life. This means that you must understand that God knows how to bring people together so that HE receives the glory. Allow God to use you to touch the lives of others. As you become a willing servant in HIS hands, God will then be able to use others to help meet your needs.

You do not serve a God of chance. You serve a God who beautifully orchestrates the lives of men so that HE might receive the glory. In an orchestra, no musician has to follow the conductor, but if they decide to go their own way, they will ruin the music for everyone, and they will quickly find that the conductor is less likely to use them next time. God has given us a choice whether we are going to obey HIM. However, when we obey, HE receives great glory.