Transcript

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 28 CEB; Ch. 29-30 NKJV; Ch. 31 NLV

Associate Producer

Timothy LaFontaine

Podcast Introduction

This the Law Monday. We’ll read Genesis 28-31. I’m calling today’s episode “Remember.”

Comments on Genesis 29 and 31

Thoughts on Genesis 29

So how do you like this Laban character? Remember, last week I asked, “So how do you like this Jacob character?” Do you remember what Jacob’s name means? It  means “deceiver” or “supplanter”. Kind of ironic that Laban deceived Jacob and supplanted Leah in place of Rachel, isn’t it? I’m not saying that necessarily what goes around comes around, but it sure happened here, didn’t it?

Working for his father-in-law for a total of 20 years was a hard lesson, but he took it much better than I would have. What would you have done? I’m so glad that my father-in-law was a godly man. If you have good in-laws, thank God. If your in-laws are…shall we say, challenging, remember Laban, and how well Jacob took it when Laban was unjust with him.

If you are not yet married, remember that your potential in-laws can have enormous influence on your married years.

Thoughts on Genesis 31

Most of you are Christians. You’re believers. You’ve accepted Jesus into your life. Do you remember when you did that? When you committed your life to Him? I’ll bet you do. It’s probably a cherished memory. 

In chapter 31 in our reading today, God appeared to Jacob in a dream and, among other things, He said, “I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me.” God was reminding Jacob of the time, many years before…when he was on his way to live with Laban…when God showed him the ladder that went up to heaven.

How good it is to be reminded of times that God spoke to us. 

I do not remember the exact date or year when I gave my heart to God. But I remember the place. It was a little Southern Baptist church in Rowland Heights, CA. Our pastor, W.L. Watson was preaching a message, and I realized that even though I believed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that He died for my sins, I had never invited Him to BE my Lord and Savior. I couldn’t wait for the sermon to end and for him to give the invitation. And when he did, still I hesitated. My friends were there, after all! They thought that I was a Christian. How could I go forward? What would they think? But the Holy Spirit kept urging me to go forward. I hesitated. He said, “Do it now.” Still I hesitated. And the next thing I knew, I was walking to the front of that little church. And that morning my eternity was forever changed. Hallelujah!

I pray I never lose that memory. 

“You remember, some of you, perhaps, the first time when pardoning love was revealed to you — when you were brought to see the love of God in the great atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Well, to-night, the Lord says to you, ‘I am the same God as you have ever found me. I have not changed. I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed, even as your father Jacob was not consumed; for I was even to him the selfsame God.’” (Spurgeon)

When Jacob told Leah and Rachel about his dream, and that God had told him to return to his home. Their response was, “Whatever God has said to you, do it.” This was no small thing. They had always lived close to their father. Making such a move was filled with uncertainty, and possibly even danger. But they trusted God and their husband.

Beloved, if you are a believer, and you’ve not yet had an experience that you can look back on and know that it was a “God moment”, a time where you felt the powerful presence of God, don’t despair. 

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6

Beloved, if you earnestly seek Him, He will meet you.

Support

This a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT.

Transcript

Download .txt file.

Genesis 28-31: Remember (LSFAB S13E051)

[TEASER – 0:00]
They thought I was a Christian.

[INTRO S13E051 – 0:09]
This is the Lifespring Family Audio Bible coming to you from Riverside, California, and podcasting since 2004, I’m your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. This is the daily podcast where we’ll read through the entire Bible in a year. The website is lifespringmedia.com. And this is the Law Monday. We’ll read Genesis 28 through 31. And I’m calling today’s episode. “Remember”.

Before we read, let’s pray.

[OPENING PRAYER – 0:36]
Our heavenly Father, we are so thankful for your love. I pray, God, that you would open our hearts and our minds today as we read and help us to remember what we read. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

Okay, let’s begin.

[GENESIS 28 (CEB) – 0:51]
Genesis, chapter 28.

(1) So Isaac summoned Jacob, blessed him, and gave him these orders: “Don’t marry a Canaanite woman. (2) Get up and go to Paddan-aram, to the household of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and once there, marry one of the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. (3) God Almighty will bless you, make you fertile, and give you many descendants so that you will become a large group of peoples. (4) He will give you and your descendants Abraham’s blessing so that you will own the land in which you are now immigrants, the land God gave to Abraham.” (5) So Isaac sent Jacob off, and he traveled to Paddan-aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean and brother of Rebekah, Jacob and Esau’s mother.

(6) Esau understood that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to marry a woman from there. He recognized that, when Isaac blessed Jacob, he had ordered him, “Don’t marry a Canaanite woman,” (7) and that Jacob had listened to his father and mother and gone to Paddan-aram. (8) Esau realized that his father Isaac considered Canaanite women unacceptable. (9) So he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth, in addition to his other wives.

(10) Jacob left Beer-sheba and set out for Haran. (11) He reached a certain place and spent the night there. When the sun had set, he took one of the stones at that place and put it near his head. Then he lay down there. (12) He dreamed and saw a raised staircase, its foundation on earth and its top touching the sky, and God’s messengers were ascending and descending on it. (13) Suddenly the LORD was standing on it and saying, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. (14) Your descendants will become like the dust of the earth; you will spread out to the west, east, north, and south. Every family of earth will be blessed because of you and your descendants. (15) I am with you now, I will protect you everywhere you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done everything that I have promised you.”

(16) When Jacob woke from his sleep, he thought to himself, The LORD is definitely in this place, but I didn’t know it. (17) He was terrified and thought, This sacred place is awesome. It’s none other than God’s house and the entrance to heaven. (18) After Jacob got up early in the morning, he took the stone that he had put near his head, set it up as a sacred pillar, and poured oil on the top of it. (19) He named that sacred place Bethel, though Luz was the city’s original name. (20) Jacob made a solemn promise: “If God is with me and protects me on this trip I’m taking, and gives me bread to eat and clothes to wear, (21) and I return safely to my father’s household, then the LORD will be my God. (22) This stone that I’ve set up as a sacred pillar will be God’s house, and of everything you give me I will give a tenth back to you.”

[GENESIS 29 (NKJV) – 3:59]
Genesis, chapter 29.

(1) So Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the East. (2) And he looked, and saw a well in the field; and behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks. A large stone was on the well’s mouth. (3) Now all the flocks would be gathered there; and they would roll the stone from the well’s mouth, water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the well’s mouth.

(4) And Jacob said to them, “My brethren, where are you from?”

And they said, “We are from Haran.”

(5) Then he said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?”

And they said, “We know him.”

(6) So he said to them, “Is he well?”

And they said, “He is well. And look, his daughter Rachel is coming with the sheep.”

(7) Then he said, “Look, it is still high day; it is not time for the cattle to be gathered together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them.”

(8) But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and they have rolled the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.”

(9) Now while he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. (10) And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. (11) Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept. (12) And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s relative and that he was Rebekah’s son. So she ran and told her father.

(13) Then it came to pass, when Laban heard the report about Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. So he told Laban all these things. (14) And Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him for a month.

(15) Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?” (16) Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. (17) Leah’s eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance.

(18) Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.”

(19) And Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.” (20) So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.

(21) Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.” (22) And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast. (23) Now it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. (24) And Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. (25) So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?”

(26) And Laban said, “It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. (27) Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.”

(28) Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also. (29) And Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid. (30) Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years.

(31) When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. (32) So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, “The Lord has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.” (33) Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon. (34) She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi. (35) And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing.

[GENESIS 30 (NKJV) – 8:31]
Genesis, chapter 30.

(1) Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die!”

(2) And Jacob’s anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”

(3) So she said, “Here is my maid Bilhah; go in to her, and she will bear a child on my knees, that I also may have children by her.” (4) Then she gave him Bilhah her maid as wife, and Jacob went in to her. (5) And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. (6) Then Rachel said, “God has judged my case; and He has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan. (7) And Rachel’s maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. (8) Then Rachel said, “With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed.” So she called his name Naphtali.

(9) When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zilpah her maid and gave her to Jacob as wife. (10) And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. (11) Then Leah said, “A troop comes!” So she called his name Gad. (12) And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. (13) “I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed.” So she called his name Asher.

(14) Now Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

(15) But she said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?”

And Rachel said, “Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.”

(16) When Jacob came out of the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” And he lay with her that night.

(17) And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. (18) Leah said, “God has given me my wages, because I have given my maid to my husband.” So she called his name Issachar. (19) Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. (20) And Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she called his name Zebulun. (21) Afterward she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah.

(22) Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. (23) And she conceived and bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” (24) So she called his name Joseph, and said, “The Lord shall add to me another son.”

(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.”

(34) And Laban said, “Oh, that it were according to your word!” (35) So he removed that day the male goats that were speckled and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had some white in it, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and gave them into the hand of his sons. (36) Then he put three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.

(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. (43) Thus the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

[GENESIS 31 (NLV) – 14:12]
Genesis, chapter 31.

(1) Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that our father had. He has become rich with what had belonged to our father.” (2) Jacob saw that Laban did not show him as much favor as he did before. (3) Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to those of your family. And I will be with you.”

(4) So Jacob called Rachel and Leah to come to his flock in the field. (5) He said to them, “I see that your father does not show me as much favor as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me. (6) You know that I have worked for your father with all my strength. (7) Yet your father has not been fair with me. He has changed my pay ten times. But God did not let him hurt me. (8) If he said, ‘The animals that have spots will be your pay,’ then all the flock gave birth to young ones with spots. If he said, ‘The animals with black marks will be your pay,’ then all the flock gave birth to young ones with black marks. (9) So God has taken away your father’s animals and has given them to me. (10) I had a dream at the time the flocks were mating. I looked up and saw that the male goats which were mating with the female goats had black marks and spots. (11) Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’ (12) He said, ‘Look and see how all the male goats that are mating with the others have black marks and spots. For I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. (13) I am the God of Bethel, where you set up a stone in honor to Me, and where you made a promise to Me. Now get up, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.’”

(14) Rachel and Leah answered him, “Do we still have any part or share in our father’s house? (15) Does he not think of us as strangers? For he has sold us. And he has used all the money that was paid for us. (16) All the riches that God has taken away from our father belong to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you to do.”

(17) Then Jacob got up and put his children and his wives on camels. (18) He took away all his animals, all the riches he had gathered and all the cattle he had gathered in Paddan-aram. And he left to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan. (19) Laban had gone to cut the wool from his flock. And Rachel stole the gods of her father’s house. (20) Jacob fooled Laban the Syrian by not telling him that he was going. (21) So he left with all he had. He went and crossed the Euphrates River, and turned toward the hill country of Gilead.

(22) But Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had gone. (23) So he took the men of his family with him, and followed Jacob for seven days. He found him in the hill country of Gilead. (24) But God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night. He said to him, “Be careful that you do not speak good or bad to Jacob.”

(25) Then Laban came to Jacob. Now Jacob had put up his tent in the hill country. Laban and the men of his family put up their tents in the hill country of Gilead. (26) Laban said to Jacob, “What do you mean by fooling me and carrying away my daughters as if they were taken by the sword? (27) Why did you leave in secret and fool me? Why did you not tell me, so I would have sent you away with joy and with songs and with sounds of joy on the timbrel and harp. (28) Why did you not let me kiss my grandchildren and daughters good-bye? Now you have been foolish. (29) I have the power to hurt you. But the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to speak good or bad to Jacob.’ (30) Now you have gone away because you had a desire for your father’s house. But why did you steal my gods?”

(31) Jacob answered Laban, “Because I was afraid you might take your daughters from me and make them stay. (32) The one with whom you find your gods will not live. In front of those of our family, look for what I have that is yours, and take it.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

(33) So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two women who served Rachel and Leah. But he did not find his gods. Then he went from Leah’s tent into Rachel’s tent. (34) Now Rachel had taken the gods of Laban’s house and put them in the seat that was used on the camel’s back. And she sat upon them. Laban looked through the whole tent, but did not find them. (35) She said to her father, “My lord, do not be angry that I cannot rise in front of you. For the way of women is upon me.” So he looked, but could not find the gods.

(36) Then Jacob became angry and argued with Laban. Jacob said to Laban, “What have I done wrong? What is my sin that made you run after me? (37) What things of your house have you found by looking through all that belongs to me? Set it here in front of my brothers and your brothers, so they may judge between us. (38) During these twenty years I have been with you, your female goats and sheep have not lost a young one. And I have not eaten the sheep of your flocks. (39) I did not bring to you those that were torn by wild animals. I took the loss upon myself. You had me pay for what was carried away during the day or during the night. (40) This is the way it was for me. I suffered from heat during the day, and from cold during the night. And I could not sleep. (41) I have been in your house twenty years. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock. And you changed my pay ten times. (42) If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the fear of Isaac, had not been with me, for sure you would have sent me away with nothing. God has seen my suffering and the work of my hands. So He spoke sharp words to you last night.”

(43) Laban answered Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters. The children are my children. And the flocks are my flocks. All that you see is mine. But what can I do today to these my daughters or to their children who were born to them? (44) So come now, let us make an arrangement, you and I. And let us do something to show we have an agreement between us.”

(45) So Jacob took a stone and set it up in honor of the agreement. (46) Then Jacob said to the men of his family, “Gather stones.” So they took stones and put them on top of each other. And they ate there by all the stones. (47) Laban gave the stones the name of Jegar-sahadutha. But Jacob gave them the name Galeed. (48) Laban said, “These stones are to stand for the agreement between you and me today.” So they were given the name Galeed. (49) They were given the name of Mizpah also. For Laban said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are apart from each other. (50) If you hurt my daughters, or if you take wives other than my daughters, no man may see it. But God sees what happens between you and me.” (51) Laban said to Jacob, “See these stones that have been set up between you and me. (52) These stones that have been set up will stand for our agreement. I will not pass by these stones to hurt you. And you will not pass by these stones to hurt me. (53) The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob promised by the fear of his father Isaac. (54) Then Jacob gave a gift in worship to God on the mountain. Then he called his brothers to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed the night on the mountain.

(55) Laban got up early in the morning and kissed his grandchildren and daughters. He prayed that good would come to them. Then Laban left and returned home.

[COMMENTARY – 21:42]
I have comments today on chapters 29 and 31. So how do you like this Laban character? Remember last week I asked, “So how do you like this Jacob character?” Do you remember what Jacob’s name means? It means “deceiver” or “supplanter”. So it’s kind of ironic that Laban deceived Jacob and supplanted Leah in place of Rachel, isn’t it? I’m not saying that necessarily what goes around comes around, but it sure happened here, didn’t it?

Working for his father-in-law for a total of 20 years was a hard lesson, but he took it much better than I would have. What would you have done? I’m so glad that my father-in-law was a godly man. If you have good in-laws, thank God. If your in-laws are, shall we say, challenging… remember Laban and how well Jacob took it when Laban was unjust with him.

Now, if you’re not yet married, remember that your potential in-laws can have enormous influence on your married years. Keep that in mind.

Most of you listening are Christians, you’re believers, you’ve accepted Jesus into your life. Do you remember when you did that when you committed your life to him? I’ll bet you do. It’s probably a cherished memory.

In chapter 31, in our reading today, God appeared to Jacob in a dream, and among other things, he said, “I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to me.” God was reminding Jacob of the time many years before when he was on his way to live with Laban when God showed him a ladder that went up to heaven.

How good it is to be reminded of times that God spoke to us.

I don’t remember the exact date or even the year when I gave my heart to God, but I remember the place. It was a little Southern Baptist church in Rowland Heights, California. I’d been attending for probably a few months. And by the way, let me stop for just a minute and tell you that I was invited to this church by my friend Del. You know Del and Kathi who we’ve been praying about and praying for for, well, pretty much ever since the show began this season? Yeah, he’s the one that invited me to this church. We were friends in high school. And I won’t tell you that whole story, but this is one of the reasons why I have such an affection for both Del and Kathi. We were all three members of the youth group there and Del met Kathi at that church. Anyway, this particular morning, our pastor W. L. Watson was preaching a message. And I realized that even though I believed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died for my sins, I had never invited him to be my Lord and Savior. Well, I couldn’t wait for the sermon to end and for Brother Watson to give the invitation, and when he did, guess what? I hesitated. My friends were there, after all. They thought I was a Christian. How could I go forward? What would they think? But the Holy Spirit kept urging me to go forward. I hesitated. The Holy Spirit said to my heart, “Do it now.” Still, I hesitated. And then the next thing I knew I was walking to the front of that little church. And that morning, my eternity was changed forever.

I remember it like it was yesterday, and I pray that I never lose that memory.

Listen to what Charles Spurgeon said, “You remember, some of you, perhaps, the first time when pardoning love was revealed to you — when you were brought to see the love of God in the great atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Well, to-night, the Lord says to you, ‘I am the same God as you have ever found me. I have not changed. I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed, even as your father Jacob was not consumed; for I was even to him the selfsame God.’”

Well, when Jacob told Leah and Rachel about his dream, and that God had told him to return to his home, what was their response? They said, “Whatever God has said to you, do it.” Now, this was no small thing. They had always lived close to their father, making a move like this was filled with uncertainty for them, and possibly even danger. It was a long journey, and Jacob was going to take all of his worldly possessions with him, this could be a dangerous trip. But Leah and Rachel trusted God and their husband.

Beloved, if you’re a believer, and you’ve not yet had an experience that you can look back on and know that it was a God moment, a time where you felt the powerful presence of God, don’t despair.

Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Matthew 7:7 says, “Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open to you.”

Psalm 9:10 says, “Those who know your name, trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”

And one last one, Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith, it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”

God knows our heart, Beloved. If you earnestly seek him, he will meet you.

[LIFESPRING FAMILY HOTLINE – 27:10]
Have you had an experience with God? Would you share it with me? Call the Lifespring Family Hotline at +1-951-732-8511. If you’re in the US, you don’t need to dial that +1. You can also comment at comment.lifespringmedia.com or you can email me at st***@*************ia.com. I’d love to share your comments on the show.

Tomorrow is History Tuesday, and we’ll read Judges 12 through 16.

Boost.

[SUPPORTER SHOUT-OUTS – 27:36]
We have an Associate Producer by the name of Timothy LaFontaine. He sent in his monthly $20 donation for which I thank you very much, Tim. Thank you, Tim, for being a Lifespring family member for so long. I appreciate your support. God bless you, Brother.

If you find value in the daily reading of the Bible and perhaps find encouragement in my comments, are you willing to support the show? The amount of your support is completely up to you. Pray about it, would you? Seek the Lord’s will and then go to lifespringmedia.com/support. You can give a one-time donation or sign up for weekly, monthly, or quarterly donations. I’ll thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I think God will bless you.

[OUTRO S13E051 – 28:21]
Thanks to the team Sister Kirsty, Brother Sean of San Pedro, and Sister Denise. And thanks to Timothy LaFontaine for helping to make this episode possible. God bless you guys. Comment on the show by calling the Lifespring Family Hotline at +1-951-732-8511 or by going to comment.lifespringmedia.com or by emailing me at st***@*************ia.com.

Until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. Thank you for making me a part of your day. My name is Steve Webb. Bye.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Transcript corrected by Denise