Bible Chapter: Genesis 30

Because the Bible is practical, here are some statements to get you thinking.

1.  Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
    Does God know what He is doing?  Absolutely.  At the beginning of His Book we find that He said marriage should be a man and a woman.  He never promoted polygamy.  We see that people quickly got into it.  And, we see the problems.  This chapter is filled with the rivalry and one-upmanship that comes from doing what God never told them to do.  It caused fights that never should have occurred.
    In spite of all of this, God provided for Jacob and his family.  We remember that Laban had always been attracted to wealth.  Jacob worked out a deal for cattle with Laban.  Jacob was familiar with breeding and developed a strong and healthy herd.  The chapter ends with the statement that Jacob increased exceedingly in his wealth.

2.  What can I apply in my life from the reading?
    Obedience is something that my parents strongly emphasized as I was growing up.  They had some pretty strong ways to get the point across.  They wanted me and my brothers to do well in school and get good grades.  But, obedience was more important.  I look at all of the problems that could have been avoided if the folks in this chapter would have obeyed God.  Even though God helped them, and it could be argued that they had a good life, they would have been better through obedience.  What could they have been and accomplished through obedience?  We will never know.  Human nature always seems to want to do the opposite of what God wants.  I, and all who call on the name of Jesus, must make the specific choices necessary to be obedient to God.

3.  How can I help someone?
    I want to help people see the negative effects of rejecting God’s best.  I recently read an article about a web site that is aimed at people who call themselves Christian, and yet live in a lifestyle that is sinful.  It was amazing to read.  Basically, this site was acting as a pimp to bring “Christians” together for immorality.  And, they quoted scripture to justify their actions.  These folks are in for a rude awakening when they stand before God as judge.  I want to help people see that they will be blessed for obedience to God’s Word.