Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel and asked the servant, "Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?" "He is my master," the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself. Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death." Genesis 24:62-67
Have you ever lost a parent? If so, you know the emptiness it leaves in your life…one of the people responsible for physically bringing you into the world…one of the people who invested so much in raising and teaching you about life…one of the main people in your life who you went to for advice, counsel and comfort as you grew into adulthood and faced life on your own…that person is now gone from this earth…no longer accessible to you. If you haven't lost a parent, just take a moment and imagine what it will be like when one of your dies because it will happen eventually.
If we have experienced loss of a parent then we can understand some of the emotions that Isaac had to have been going through as he deals with his mother, Sarah's passing. Her death left him alone with only his father Abraham still alive. You'll remember that Isaac was Abraham and Sarah's only son.
So picture Isaac on the day of our scripture passage. It's been about three years since his mother's passing and he was heading "out to the field…to meditate". We see that prayer was part of Isaac's regimen and it makes total sense since he was the son of such a man of faith in Abraham. One can only wonder if Isaac didn't often pray for companionship…that God might send him someone to share life with…someone who would break the bondage of loneliness…someone who could fill some of the void left by his mother's loss.
Well just as Isaac sets out to meditate, something breaks the tranquil field setting. He looked up to see camels approaching. We're also told that at that time Rebekah sees Isaac for the first time. The problem is that she doesn't know she is looking at her future spouse. We read where she has to ask the servant who Isaac was. The servant replies by saying, "He is my master" which prompts Rebekah to cover herself with her veil, showing humility, modesty and respect before her husband-to-be. After Isaac explains how the Lord led him to Rebekah, Isaac takes Rebekah "into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married" her. The servant's task is now over but a wonderful new bond has been formed between Isaac and Rebekah. We read that Isaac "loved her; and…was comforted after his mother's death." God sent Rebekah to Isaac when he needed her most…and the beauty of it all is that it was God's plan from the beginning.
Question: Have you experienced a loss that has left a void in your life? It doesn't have to be a death for it could be a broken marriage, friendship or family relationship. It could even involve losing a pet…for many people have close bonds with their animals that sometimes match the intimacy that human beings have for one another. No matter what the type of loss, it is never easy to deal with and it can often leave us abandoned, hopeless, sorrowful and feeling lost and alone.
If you have experienced this and are still in the midst of dealing with your loss, I would pray that you would draw encouragement from this chapter of scripture, Genesis, chapter 24. In it, we discover several key points to help us when we're in the midst of missing someone:
1. God always has a plan. It's ever difficult to have patience and wait for the Lord to do His work but we must wait and trust in faith that He is working in our best interest. We will all experience loss at some time in our life. God stands ready to teach us how to cope and comfort us in our loneliness. For He wishes to step into the gap and fills the void of our loved one. We simply need to ask Him in. If you're going through the pain of loss today, won't you allow Jesus to enter in and fill the void of your loss with the awesome, comforting, healing power of His love. He awaits your call.
2. He has people or a person in mind to enter in and fill the gap left by the loss of your loved one. Whether it is a wife, a friend or a new pet, the Lord is working on your behalf. Once again, be patient and allow Him to bring the person He wants to bring to you. In the interim, allow Jesus to fill your void with His love and fellowship.
3. Meditate and stay in close communion with God. Although Isaac was alone and had to be dealing with many of the same emotions we deal with when we lose someone, he took time to meditate daily. One has to think he prayed for companionship of some kind. And then along came Rebekah…the answer to his prayers. The Lord is working toward answering your prayers as well. Be patient and see who He might bring to you. Isaac was…for three years…and he was rewarded for his faithfulness. I know of a woman who waited well into her 40's, hoping and praying that the Lord would bring her the right man. She was willing to wait and wait faithfully for God's will to be done and she waited a lot longer than Isaac. And her faith was rewarded. A great man was brought into her life by the Lord…a man who feared the Lord and sought to be a strong disciple…and her prayers were answered. They have gone on to have an awesome marriage that has spanned nearly 15 years.
Question: Are you willing to wait on the Lord and do so patiently? He has shown that He will deliver. My prayer is that He will bless you as He did Isaac…may He bring you a "Rebekah" experience.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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