And when the families parted, Rachel took the lifestyle of Laban with her. She too said the wealth belonged to them. They had earned it. Do whatever – whatever God has told you.

God’s way comes to pass as seen by His speaking to Laban. God uses people His wonders to perform. The two even make a covenant in His presence and then went their separate ways.

Help me Lord, to Stop. Look. And Listen. Help me to be a person of integrity in all I do and say. You are my God. May worldly possessions never come in the way of my love for You. Thank You for Your never failing presence – power – grace – Spirit – to direct my misguided footsteps. Lead me and guide me in the way everlasting.

Not what my hands have done can save my guilty soul;
Not what my toiling flesh has borne can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do can give me peace with God;
Not all my prayers and sighs and tears can bear my awful load.

Your voice alone, O Lord, can speak to me of grace;
Your power alone, O Son of God, can all my sin erase.
No other work but Yours, no other blood will do;
No strength but that which is divine can bear me safely through.

Thy work alone, O Christ, can ease this weight of sin;
Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God, can give me peace within.
Thy love to me, O God, not mine, O Lord, to Thee,
Can rid me of this dark unrest, And set my spirit free.

Jacob was so sure that nothing had been stolen that he spoke out in haste to give over the life of whomever had stolen. These relationships had been full of deceipt from the moment they began yet Jacob didn’t think about that lack of integrity and the fact that indeed one of them may have stolen from Labon. LORD, may we always take the time to think, to get the facts before we blurt out careless responses. Forgive me for the times that I have responded in haste, without praying / thinking things through with You.

Rachel must have feared for her life yet instead of confessing and pleading for her life because of the wrong that she had done, she quickly responds with yet another lie. It has become that easy for her?

In the end we see that Jacob and Labon build an altar to make a covenant before God between one another. How ironic that they recognize that they want God as their witness even though there was so much deceipt, so much distrust between them.

LORD, it’s only by Your grace that we live. I place my hope in You LORD. Thank You LORD for being the LORD of my life, for Your daily provisions, for the unfailing love and unending grace that You continually pour out. Thank You LORD for the unending work that You are doing in this world today despite the mess that has been made of things, despite the disfunction……

Not because of who we are, but because of what You’ve done, not because of what we’ve done but because of who You are!

Labon did not want Jacob to succeed and did all that he could to hinder and prevent Jacob from being successful. Thank You LORD for showing us that Your plans and purposes could not be stopped. You provided for Jacob just as You continue to provide for us today.

LORD, help us as believers to not respond in ungodly ways when we have been cheated or wronged. May we trust You to provide and take care of every detail.