The story is a familiar one found in the pages of Genesis. In desiring a godly wife for his son, Abraham sends his servant back to his own country to find a wife for him.
We often hear of Rebekah’s admirable qualities – her beauty, her hospitality, and hard work ethic. It all comes together in a love story where Isaac gets the wife of his dreams.
But the story does not end there. Reading this familiar account recently, a few different details stood out.
“Now these are the records of the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham became the father of Isaac; and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah …”
(Genesis 25:19, NASB)
” … and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them [twin boys].”
(Genesis 25:26, NASB)
If I am doing the math correctly, twenty years had passed from the day they married until the day Rebekah gave birth.
Twenty years of doing life together, day in and day out. We are also given this detail:
“Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren …”
(Genesis 25:32, NASB)
Isaac prayed for his wife. The couple, particularly for Rebekah, had to endure deep disappointment which grew increasingly hard to bear, as the months and years dragged on.
And yet, Isaac prayed. And continued to pray to the only One who could change this situation.
The story brings this reminder –
God’s plan can often take time.
May these words of the psalmist encourage you today:
“Listen to my words, Lord,
consider my lament.
Hear my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait expectantly.“
(Psalm 5:1-3, NIV)
Have you been waiting for a long time, praying for an outcome? Are you facing prolonged or repeated disappointment?
Lord, give us patience to wait on Your plan. Help us to not interfere, or try to work things out on our own. May we know that Your plan is good and for our good. In Your Name we pray, Amen.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
I am thankful to pray to God and know He will answer in His timing and in His way. There are things I've been praying about for a long time. I find comfort in knowing He is listening. :-)
ReplyDeleteHe brings hope as we prayerfully wait.
DeleteWaiting is hard for most of us, I presume. But I'm learning that the "waiting" time doesn't have to be passive. It's a time for me to actively lean on the Lord and develop more trust. It's still not easy though! :) Thanks for sharing at our One Word linkup, Joanne!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Lisa. Waiting is most difficult and yet, it is in the wait that we learn and grow.
DeleteThis story is so dear to my heart. After our first son was born, we experienced secondary infertility. I immersed myself in the infertility stories - and one of the things that has been so impactful to my marriage is how the story of Isaac and Rebekah revealed the power of a husband praying for his wife, his family. I always thought it intriguing that the only time we hear of Isaac interacting with God in his own initiative is when He prayed for Rebekah to conceive. Your post hit a place in me that reminded me of God's goodness and warmed my heart!
ReplyDeleteMaryleigh, thank you so much for sharing this with me. I almost did not share the post. Somehow, as familiar as the story is, I had not seen the detail of Isaac's prayer. It was eye opening and meant so much to me. Blessings, friend!
ReplyDeleteI love that emphasis to "wait expectantly." I love what you said at the end, too--about patience, interference, and not trying to work things out on our own.
ReplyDelete