Genesis 30:25-33, 37-42
25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my country. 26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service which I have done for you.”
27 And Laban said to him, “Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes, for I have learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your sake.” 28 Then he said, “Name me your wages, and I will give it.”
29 So Jacob said to him, “You know how I have served you and how your livestock has been with me. 30 For what you had before I came was little, and it has increased to a great amount; the Lord has blessed you since my coming. And now, when shall I also provide for my own house?”
31 So he said, “What shall I give you?”
And Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep your flocks: 32 Let me pass through all your flock today, removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and these shall be my wages. 33 So my righteousness will answer for me in time to come, when the subject of my wages comes before you: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the lambs, will be considered stolen, if it is with me.”
37 Now Jacob took for himself rods of green poplar and of the almond and chestnut trees, peeled white strips in them, and exposed the white which was in the rods. 38 And the rods which he had peeled, he set before the flocks in the gutters, in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, so that they should conceive when they came to drink. 39 So the flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled, and spotted. 40 Then Jacob separated the lambs, and made the flocks face toward the streaked and all the brown in the flock of Laban; but he put his own flocks by themselves and did not put them with Laban’s flock.
41 And it came to pass, whenever the stronger livestock conceived, that Jacob placed the rods before the eyes of the livestock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods. 42 But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put them in; so the feebler were Laban’s and the stronger Jacob’s.
Jacob is ready to move on and set up his own household and begin to build security for his family. Laban realizes how God has blessed Jacob and him because Jacob is living with him so he begs Jacob to stay, offering to pay him whatever Jacob asks. Jacob requests to be able to keep for himself all of the brown lambs and speckled, striped, and spotted goats. Laban isagreeable to Jacob stays but he implements an old wives tale in order to insure his success. Isn't it ironic Laban recognized how God was blessing Jacob but Jacob still relys on himself to insure his success. It is still true today. So many times others can see God's blessings in our lives before we recognize them ourselves. Until we recognize that we can do nothing on our own and praise God for everything we have we will continue to do things on our own missing the best God has for us and causing undo stress and anxiety in our lives. There is freedom in allowing God to be God in our lives. Trust Him today no matter your circumstances. His best for you is better than the best you can imagine!
Father, Provider how wonderful are Your ways and Your thoughts toward me! You pour out blessings continually on me. Open the eyes of my heart LORD and show me what I have missed by not allowing You to be God in every aspect of my life! Help me in my lack of trust! In Jesus name, amen.
25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my country. 26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service which I have done for you.”
27 And Laban said to him, “Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes, for I have learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your sake.” 28 Then he said, “Name me your wages, and I will give it.”
29 So Jacob said to him, “You know how I have served you and how your livestock has been with me. 30 For what you had before I came was little, and it has increased to a great amount; the Lord has blessed you since my coming. And now, when shall I also provide for my own house?”
31 So he said, “What shall I give you?”
And Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep your flocks: 32 Let me pass through all your flock today, removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and these shall be my wages. 33 So my righteousness will answer for me in time to come, when the subject of my wages comes before you: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the lambs, will be considered stolen, if it is with me.”
37 Now Jacob took for himself rods of green poplar and of the almond and chestnut trees, peeled white strips in them, and exposed the white which was in the rods. 38 And the rods which he had peeled, he set before the flocks in the gutters, in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, so that they should conceive when they came to drink. 39 So the flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled, and spotted. 40 Then Jacob separated the lambs, and made the flocks face toward the streaked and all the brown in the flock of Laban; but he put his own flocks by themselves and did not put them with Laban’s flock.
41 And it came to pass, whenever the stronger livestock conceived, that Jacob placed the rods before the eyes of the livestock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods. 42 But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put them in; so the feebler were Laban’s and the stronger Jacob’s.
Jacob is ready to move on and set up his own household and begin to build security for his family. Laban realizes how God has blessed Jacob and him because Jacob is living with him so he begs Jacob to stay, offering to pay him whatever Jacob asks. Jacob requests to be able to keep for himself all of the brown lambs and speckled, striped, and spotted goats. Laban isagreeable to Jacob stays but he implements an old wives tale in order to insure his success. Isn't it ironic Laban recognized how God was blessing Jacob but Jacob still relys on himself to insure his success. It is still true today. So many times others can see God's blessings in our lives before we recognize them ourselves. Until we recognize that we can do nothing on our own and praise God for everything we have we will continue to do things on our own missing the best God has for us and causing undo stress and anxiety in our lives. There is freedom in allowing God to be God in our lives. Trust Him today no matter your circumstances. His best for you is better than the best you can imagine!
Father, Provider how wonderful are Your ways and Your thoughts toward me! You pour out blessings continually on me. Open the eyes of my heart LORD and show me what I have missed by not allowing You to be God in every aspect of my life! Help me in my lack of trust! In Jesus name, amen.
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