Positioned for purpose

    Genesis chapter 29 tells an intriguing love story with some interesting twists and turns. Jacob goes to another country to look for a wife among his mother’s relatives. There he meets a beautiful young woman who immediately captures his attention and his heart. She turns out to be his cousin, Rachel, younger daughter of his uncle Laban. He agrees to work seven years for his uncle to have her as his wife. Unfortunately, his uncle, a crafty man, tricks him and on his wedding night gives him instead his older daughter, Leah. Leah is not beautiful and enchanting like her younger sister. However, his uncle’s excuse is that the older daughter must marry before the younger. But, Jacob wants what he wants and when he agrees to work another seven years for the younger daughter, he is given her also as his wife. 
    What I find interesting about this story is how Leah was positioned in this marriage. She did not have any say it would seem, and was probably simply being obedient to her father’s wishes. The Bible does not say, but maybe he, on the other hand, knowing that she was not beautiful or attractive, and would take a while to get married, came up with a plan to marry her off along with her younger sister. Of course, his plan worked but at what expense? Leah may not have felt very comfortable having her life manipulated and controlled but custom was custom. She may not have felt comfortable with her earthy father’s manipulation but little did she know that her Heavenly Father had a plan for her life far greater than what she could ever imagine.
    Verse 31 tells us that when God saw that Leah was unloved, he opened her womb but her sister, Rachel, was barren. God saw her in the midst of her distress and pain and chose to bless her with children. At first, she kept wishing and expecting that her husband would love her because she was able to bear children for him but that did not happen. She finally turned her eyes to the One she knew was responsible for her favour and said: “Now will I praise the Lord” and named her fourth child, Judah, which means praise. She simply took her eyes off her situation and placed them on the One who could change her situation. Many years down the road, the Messiah, Jesus, came through her son Judah’s bloodline.
    Earlier on I said that Leah was positioned in her marriage. Had it not been for her earthly father and his scheme, she would not have married Jacob. This may have seemed like a negative but it was in fact a positive. Her Heavenly Father had a greater plan for her and used her earthly father to position her to be a part of God’s plan to fulfil His promise to their ancestor, Abraham, to make him a father of many nations (Genesis 12:2; 17:1-4).
    Sometimes, we don’t and can’t always see the bigger picture. The negative situations that come our way are exactly what God uses to position us to fulfil His greater plan and purpose for our lives. We may be so discouraged and trying so hard to get out of that situation but God in His wisdom has allowed it to propel us into his purpose for our lives. When Joseph was sold by his brothers to merchants who in turn sold him as a slave in Egypt (Genesis 37:28; 39:1), that situation seemed like such a negative one. Yet, those same brothers are who God used to propel Joseph into his destiny. Had Joseph not landed in Egypt, he would not have had the opportunity to realise the dream God had given him.
    We may try to bind, pray against and earnestly seek deliverance from some negative situations, but if God has promised that all things will work together for our good, then we can be confident that even that negative circumstance, God will use to do something great and mighty in our lives. Maybe we need to be like Leah who finally decided to praise the Lord in the midst of her unfortunate circumstance. Praise is powerful, and praise in the midst of negative situations that you cannot change can move God to do great and mighty things in your life.
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I invite you to do so today. God has a perfect plan and purpose for your life and He knows exactly how to position you to receive His very best for you. Trust His leading. Trust His guidance. He will work everything out for your good.​

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