Today's Scripture
Against all odds – GENESIS 30:25-43
Today’s Reading Schedule: Genesis 30-31(CEB)- Click to read
25 After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me off so that I can go to my own place and my own country. 26 Give me my wives and children whom I’ve worked for, and I will go. You know the work I’ve done for you.”
27 Laban said to him, “Do me this favor. I’ve discovered by a divine sign that the Lord has blessed me because of you, 28 so name your price and I will pay it.”
29 Jacob said to him, “You know how I’ve worked for you, and how well your livestock have done with me. 30 While in my care, what little you had has multiplied a great deal. The Lord blessed you wherever I took your livestock. Now, when will I be able to work for my own household too?”
31 Laban said, “What will I pay you?”
Jacob said, “Don’t pay me anything. If you will do this for me, I will take care of your flock again, and keep a portion. 32 I will go through the entire flock today, taking out all of the speckled and spotted sheep, all of the black male lambs, and all of the spotted and speckled female goats. That will be my price. 33 I will be completely honest with you: when you come to check on our agreement, every female goat with me that isn’t speckled or spotted and every male lamb with me that isn’t black will be considered stolen.”
34 Laban said, “All right; let’s do it.” 35 However, on that very day Laban took out the striped and spotted male goats and all of the speckled and spotted female goats—any with some white in it—and all of the black male lambs, and gave them to his sons. 36 He put a three-day trip between himself and Jacob, while Jacob was watching the rest of Laban’s flock.
37 Then Jacob took new branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees; and he peeled white stripes on them, exposing the branches’ white color. 38 He set the branches that he had peeled near the watering troughs so that they were in front of the flock when they drank, because they often mated when they came to drink. 39 When the flock mated in front of the branches, they gave birth to striped, speckled, and spotted young. 40 Jacob sorted out the lambs, turning the flock to face the striped and black ones in Laban’s flock but keeping his flock separate, setting them apart from Laban’s flock. 41 Whenever the strongest of the flock mated, Jacob put the branches in front of them near the watering troughs so that they mated near the branches. 42 But he didn’t put branches up for the weakest of the flock. So the weakest became Laban’s and the strongest Jacob’s. 43 The man Jacob became very, very rich: he owned large flocks, female and male servants, camels, and donkeys.
RJ's Devotion
What Does the passage Mean to Me/US?
Jacob worked for his uncle, Laban, for several years without any proper pay.
With the intention to leave the land, Jacob approaches Laban and makes an agreement to have all the spotted and stripped flock as a reward of his hard work. Laban, despite his agreement, gives all the spotted and speckled animals to his son, which made it impossible for Jacob to gain his fair share.
However, Jacob does something odd. The Message says, “But Jacob got fresh branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled the bark, leaving white stripes on them. He stuck the peeled branches in front of the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. When the flocks were in heat, they came to drink and mated in front of the streaked branches. Then they gave birth to young that were streaked or spotted or speckled” (Genesis 30:37-39 The Message).
Some might ask, it that scientifically true? I don’t think it was.
We do learn that Jacob did this according to a divine direction (Genesis 31:12-13).
When he was against all odds, he still followed God’s directions and saw how God worked in his lives.
As Christians, we will encounter times when we are against the odds.
In our controlling nature, we tend not to be there, but we also we that it is inevitable.
In those moments, are we still obedient to God’s directions, even though it might be far from what I think I should do?
Laying down our own thoughts and plans are so difficult.
Faithfully following God’s directions, therefore, becomes difficult.
Do you see the call of our Lord to lay down our own ways? And yes, it should start with me.
Prayer
Lord, my ways, my thoughts, and even control, we lay it down to you.When we feel like we are against all odds, may that be a time we see your will be done. Prepare us to witness your mighty work. In Christ Name, we pray, AMEN
Click to subscribe to our Daily Devotion.
You will receive a devotion in your inbox every morning.