God Speaks
Troubling Family Life, Working for Your In-Laws, Parting Company
Verse of the Day: [When dealing with difficult people and situations may we defer to the LORD God as Jacob did here.] “If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night He rebuked you.” (Genesis 31:42 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Reflection.
Consider the following questions regarding Genesis 30-31
> 1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
> 2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
Genesis 30
1. God knows and cares about our being treated unfairing at work or at home.
2. People often take advantage of others, especially those close to them either at work or at home or both.
Genesis 31
1. God may choose to give us special insight in our work or in our homes or He may speak to who oppose us on our behalf.
2. People should commit themselves to the fear of the LORD and offer themselves as living sacrifices to Him.
Prayer
> 3. How might I pray regarding Genesis 30-31?
O LORD God, You know everything that is going on in our world. You know and care about how Your people are being treated whether at school, at work or in their own homes. So many people of any age are being maligned, abused, beaten, tortured or killed and mutilated. Help me to cooperate with You in coming to the rescue of Your people wherever they are and whatever they are enduring. Others are being deceived and taken advantage of financially, emotionally, socially or spiritually. Please empower Your troops (both human and angelic) to come to their aid. LORD God, please give Your people special insight in our work or in our homes. Speak to those who oppose us on our behalf. May I leave rebuking my enemies to You, LORD, and not seek retribution. Enable Your people to commit ourselves to the fear of the LORD and to offer ouselves as living sacrifices to You, O God. Then we will give You all the glory, LORD. AMEN
Action (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
> 4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Genesis 30-31? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will thank God that He is with me in the midst of difficult situations.
- I will do something specific this week to honor my parents and/or in-laws.
- I will do something specific to honor the Lord by how I conduct myself in the workplace or the community.
- I will do something specific to demonstrate that I am developing a positive fear of the LORD.
Share
I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.