God loved Leah

http://youtu.be/rRm99TmblLE - Testify to Love - Wynonna Judd

When I was in high school, I had a boyfriend. He had the most incredible blue eyes.  He could give me a certain look that just melted my heart.  We were in love.  Well, one of us was in love.

We both worked at Tom Thumb along with several other kids from our high school.  There was this really cute girl who worked there, too.  One day, I had gotten to the store a little early for my shift.  I saw my boyfriend sitting over at the snack bar having a coke and talking with this other girl, so I went over to join them.  When I sat down next to my boyfriend, he didn't acknowledge me at all.  He was talking to this other girl and looking at her with the same special look that I thought was just for me.  I felt invisible, like I was intruding into their private little world of flirtation, and it made me feel horribly alone and unloved.  
  

I think Leah must have felt that way.  Her husband didn't choose her.  He chose her sister - the "pretty one".  Her dad played a dirty trick on Jacob, and Leah found herself married to a man who loved someone else.

Leah's story is sad, at least in the beginning.  But God saw her tears.  He understood the pain she felt watching her husband and her sister, Rachel.  Leah was a third wheel - not wanted... not loved.  But God loved her.  And God blessed her with a great honor.  The Messiah, Jesus Christ, would be born from Leah's lineage. 

Jacob may have chosen Rachel, but God chose Leah.  I like that.

http://youtu.be/k_MyC6kJzPg - Unfailing Love - Chris Tomlin


Father, there are times when we feel alone, like no one understands or cares. Our friends are so caught up in their own lives, they don't always "see" when we're hurting or struggling. But You see, LORD. And You care. You're always there, whether we realize it or not. Thank You for being our Comforter and our Strength. Your love, O GOD, is unfailing. We will trust in You. We pray this in the Name of Jesus, our Savior, who makes all things new. Amen.


Psalm 56:8
You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle.You have recorded each one in your book.


2 Chronicles 30:9
For the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him."
Psalm 25:6
Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past.


Jacob loved Rachel. It was love at first sight. He knew this was the woman that he wanted to marry. But to win her hand in marriage, Jacob had to work for his uncle Laban (Rachel's dad) for seven years. He did that willingly because of the prize set before him. After seven years of hard work and honorable service, Jacob was finally marrying the love of his life.

Laban was not quite as honorable as Jacob. You see, Rachel had an older sister, Leah. Evidently, Leah was not a woman who would make heads turn. Depending on the translation, the bible says Leah had tender or weak eyes. I'm not sure what that means. Either her eyes were soft and gentle - her one true asset, or they were weak and not pretty at all. I'd like to think that the Scripture was pointing to her one good trait, tender eyes. One things we do know, Rachel was a a knockout in every way. And Jacob wanted her, not her sister.

Laban decided he need to get Leah married off and the only way he saw that happening was to trick Jacob into marrying Leah. From what I've read, a marriage officially took place when the bride's father would bring his daughter to the groom on the wedding night - basically handing her over to her husband. That was the final act that sealed the convenant of marriage. So Laban delivered the bride (Leah) to Jacob in the dark of night. Jacob expected Rachel, but he was fooled.

Poor Leah! She was stuck in a marriage with no love - worse yet, her husband loved someone else, her very sister. As I read about Leah in Genesis 29, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. God had compassion on Leah, also. In fact, the bible says "because Leah was unloved, the LORD let her have a child, while Rachel was childless." Leah had six of Jacob's 12 sons. After each birth, she named the sons:

Son                   Meaning of               What Leah said at his birth:
                           his name
_________________________________________________________________

Reuben                    "look, a son!"            "The Lord has noticed my misery and now maybe
                                                                                           husband will love me"

Simeon                   one who hears           "The Lord heard that I was unloved and has given me
                                                                                             another son."

Levi                       affection for              “Surely now my husband will feel affection for me, since
                                                                                          I've given him three sons"

Judah                        praise                                       "Now I will praise the Lord!"

Issachar                   reward                                          "God has rewarded me"

Zebulun                    honor                            "God has given me good gifts for my husband.
                                                                               Now he will honor me, for I have given
                                                                                                     him six sons"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Doesn't it break your heart? She knew that Jacob didn't love her. Every day, she had to watch him with Rachel. All she wanted was for Jacob to love her. Can you imagine how miserable it would be to be stuck in a loveless marriage?

But God is so rich in mercy. He saw her pain and had compassion on her. Not only did He bless Leah with six sons, He also blessed her son, Judah, with an amazing blessing. Jesus, the Messiah, would descend from Judah, whose mother was Leah, not Rachel!

God blessed Leah.

One other thing I find interesting about this "love story", when Jacob was dying, he asked to be buried in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan. He told his sons, "There Abraham and his wife, Sarah, are buried. There Isaac and his wife, Rebeccah, are buried. And there I buried Leah." Jacob was buried with his wife, Leah. Rachel, the one he loved, was buried alone in Bethlehem.

For the record, my research shows that these two burial sites were about 13-14 miles from one another. Jacob could have easily chosen to be buried with Rachel, or he could have had Rachel's bones moved to the family burial cave, but for some reason, he didn't. Instead Jacob chose to be buried with Leah. Maybe she was loved more than she knew.

Three things I've learned from this story:

• God sees our pain when no one else sees, and He has compassion.
• God can use the worst circumstances for good. He has a purpose for what he allows in our lives.
• Sometimes, our greatest blessings come after we're gone, to our children.

These are the names of the twelve sons of Jacob: The sons of Leah were Reuben (Jacob's oldest son), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun." Genesis 35:22b-23

Matthew 1
The Genealogy of Christ, the Messiah

1 This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham:
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac.
Isaac was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.
3 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar).
Perez was the father of Hezron.
Hezron was the father of Ram.
4 Ram was the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.
Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
5 Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab).
Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth).
Obed was the father of Jesse.
6 Jesse was the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah).
7 Solomon was the father of Rehoboam.
Rehoboam was the father of Abijah.
Abijah was the father of Asa.
8 Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat.
Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram.
Jehoram was the father of Uzziah.
9 Uzziah was the father of Jotham.
Jotham was the father of Ahaz.
Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah.
10 Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh.
Manasseh was the father of Amon.
Amon was the father of Josiah.
11 Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon).
12 After the Babylonian exile:
Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel.
Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel.
13 Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud.
Abiud was the father of Eliakim.
Eliakim was the father of Azor.
14 Azor was the father of Zadok.
Zadok was the father of Akim.
Akim was the father of Eliud.
15 Eliud was the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar was the father of Matthan.
Matthan was the father of Jacob.
16Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

http://youtu.be/rVcCKe2sz0Y - Give me Your Eyes by Brandon Heath



Have you seen this post on Facebook?

The Girl you just called fat, she's been starving herself & has lost over 30lbs. The Boy you just called stupid? Has a learning disability & studies over 4hrs a night. The Girl you just called ugly? Spends hours putting makeup on hoping people will like her. The Boy you just tripped? He's abused enough at home. The girl you called "Jesus Freak", she spends hours in prayer for you. There's a lot more to people than you think. Put this as your status if you're against bullying!

It's a good reminder. People are hurting and instead of encouraging and coming along side them, we sometimes make their pain even worse by our words and actions. I don't want to do that today. I don't want to do that ever.

God tells us in His Word that we are to encourage one another. He also tells us how powerful our words are. We can build people up (encourage) or we can tear them down. One careless word can do great harm to someone who is already feeling discouraged or alone.

Today, I have a challenge for you. Look around you. Really pay attention to the people God puts in your life. They are there for a reason. Look at them the way Jesus does. Can you see their pain? Do you see worry or discouragement? Instead of a cursory, "hi, how are you?". what if you really stopped to hear their answer to that question?

People are hurting. People you know and deal with every day are hurting. They are struggling with sickness, financial worries, divorce/separation, depression, ... Do you know that your friend may feel alone or discouraged? It's easy to ignore the signs, especially when they are so good at acting like everything is great. I dare say that there are very few people in this world who are really doing "great!". I guess the whole point of this message is we need to reach out with love to those around us, so that when they are ready to reach back, they will know we truly care.

What does Jesus see?

One thing I know is true. When you see someone "acting out", doing things that draw attention to themselves, chances are they are hurting. The "acting out" that we see, and unfortunately, that we judge, may really be a scream for help. Are you listening, or do you judge and condemn without taking the time to reach out and show you care?

What would Jesus do?

Today, my challenge to myself and to you, is to reach out, let's show people we really care by taking an extra moment to listen to their answer when we ask "How are you?" If they say "fine", look into their eyes and say, "are you really fine?" We might be surprised by their answer.

Today, I'm going to try to take "me" out of my conversations. I'm going to listen more and talk less about "me". Maybe then my friends will know I care about what's happening in their lives.

James 3:17
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness.

Ephesians 4:29 ESV
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.


Philippians 4:8 ESV
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.


Proverbs 10:21 NLT
The words of the godly encourage many, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.


Proverbs 31:8 NLT
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice to those who are perishing.


Proverbs 11:17 NLT
Your own soul is nourished when you are kind, but you destroy yourself when you are cruel.


Proverbs 17:17 NLT
A friend loves you all the time, and a brother helps in time of trouble.

Proverbs 3:27-28
Whenever you are able, do good to people who need help. If you have what your neighbor asks for, don't say, "Come back later. I will give it to you tomorrow."


Hebrews 10:24 NLT
Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of His coming back again is drawing near.

Hebrews 3:13 ESV
But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.


Acts 20:35 ESV
In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”


Prayer
Merciful Father, thank You for loving me and showing me how to love others by Your example. Thank You for Your patience when I am slow to learn or too caught up in my own problems and cares to notice the pain others are feeling. I'm sorry that I fail so miserably most days.

I want to see what Jesus sees. I want to be an encourager, someone who makes things better, not worse. Open my eyes and soften my heart towards others so that I can make a difference for You in their lives.

I give You this day, Lord. Use me for Your glory, for You alone are worthy of all my praise and devotion. In Jesus' precious Name I pray. Amen.



http://youtu.be/g_m2FkisN98 - I Refuse - Josh Wilson

“For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more."Hebrews 8:12 NKJ



http://youtu.be/VpodVp6LH8s - Mercy Came Running - Phillips Craig and Dean

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NIV
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.


“That wasn’t me.”

That’s what Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York told Oprah during an interview regarding her latest indiscretion that was caught on video. I understand exactly what she meant.

When I look back over the course of my life, I can’t believe some of the terrible choices I’ve made, choices with far reaching consequences, choices that hurt people I love. I can’t understand how I sunk so low. I was a good person, or at least, I always thought I was a good person. How could that good little Christian girl do those things? I look at her and say, “that couldn’t have been me”. I don’t want it to be me. But it was and it still could be, if I don’t keep my eyes on Jesus.

http://youtu.be/JEqfMFAIyGI - Let Your Mercy Rain - Chris Tomlin

Mercy is a wonderful gift  from a loving God! Thank You, Father, for Your mercy!

Fortunately for me, I didn’t have a frenzy of media announcing my downward spiral. Poor Sarah. Caught on tape, betraying one of the kindest men she knew – her ex-husband. She tried to sell him for a few pieces of gold. Well, not really. but it must have felt like that once she realized what she had done. The shame must be unbearable! The relationship she has with the one man who has stood beside her and who had forgiven her so many times, is the same relationship she tried to used to barter for her own selfish reasons.

I do not condone what Sarah did, but I have compassion towards her. I see her shame and her remorse. If she could just go back in time and make a different choice, if she could just have one “do-over”… But it’s too late. She can’t take it back. She can’t undo the harm she’s done. I understand all too well. I hope Prince Andrew is gracious and forgiving. I pray that people don’t think him weak if he finds it in his heart to reach out to Sarah with the kindness and compassion. I think that’s what Jesus would do. He forgives. He helps those bent low from their burdens. He gives second chances, then third chances, and fourth, and on and on and on. Why can’t we forgive like that?

I don’t like to think about the past when my life was such a mess. I look at who I am today, and just for a moment, I say to myself “I could never make those mistakes again.” But the truth is I could. I am a fallible woman. I can be selfish, gossipy, lazy, self-righteous, hateful… I might look good on the outside, but my heart is far from perfect. If I’m not careful, my thoughts can be ungodly. I know that about myself. I know how easy it is to lose my way. I know the path to destruction doesn’t start with one bad choice. It begins with a tiny little thought. “I wished my spouse would be more like …” or “I deserve to be happy…”

Sarah, finding herself in a financial hole with no way out, let her thoughts become actions. “I’ll just do it this one time, and after I’m back on my feet, I’ll never do it again.”, “what could it hurt?” And the thoughts go on… “no one will ever have to know…” That’s how it works, thoughts lead to a plan and the plan leads to action.

What if we could win this battle of the mind? What if we could simply take control over our thoughts and “make them obedient to Christ”? Which thoughts do I have that don’t honor Jesus? I need to get rid of them!!!!

I know where my descent started. I know the thoughts I had, the planning and imagining… I know the little baby steps I took at the beginning of my journey. Before it began, if someone would have told me that I would do the things I did, I would have been insulted and indignant. NOT ME!!! I’m a good Christian!!! I wished I had known how little it takes to get off track so that I could have been on guard - prepared for battle. I could have protected my marriage, my family, my own heart. But I thought I couldn’t fall. I thought I would never do those things.  But I did.

What do I do to keep from ever falling into that deep pit again?

 I guard my thoughts. If Jesus wouldn’t want me to think it, I need to kick it out of my brain.

 I keep my eyes on Jesus. I remember the price He paid for my sins.

 I read, pray, praise and thank Him for my family and all my blessings.

 Before I do anything, I ask myself: If Jesus was physically standing by my side, would I still do what I’m about to do? Would I still go to the place where I want to go? Would I say the words getting ready to tumble out of my mouth?

 When I think I’m not appreciated, I ask myself: Do I ever take others for granted? How can I make the people in my life feel appreciated? Can I be the Hero in my relationships?

 I refuse to be offended. I just don’t go there in my mind. Let it go. Don’t think about it.

 I give others the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they’re having a really bad day, and their words are just coming out all wrong. I chose to forgive - because HE forgives me.

And oh, by the way, I forgive myself when I fail to do any of these things, which is often.

There’s a bumper sticker, “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven.” I love it! I am not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. But God loves me with all my faults and flaws. He has compassion on me when I fail because He knows I am just dirt (Psalm 103:13-14). He loves me. He knows every thought that pops into my head, and HE still loves me. (Psalm 139:2-4) How great is that?

I hate the pain I caused to the ones I loved most. I hate it. But God in His infinite mercy, uses the pain and sadness I feel over those mistakes to draw me nearer to HIM. I am grateful for the lesson God showed me. Newsflash!!! I am human and my human nature is not good. I know without a doubt who I am without Jesus, what I’m capable of. Yes, I can put on a nice face and look pretty respectable. But as I sit smugly thinking what a great person I am, Satan is plotting and scheming to bring me down. (1 Peter 5:8) He watches, and he sees my weaknesses, and he patiently lies in wait, pouncing at just the right time. “No one will know” he whispers. “It will be our little secret” he promises. But he is a liar; in fact he is the father of lies. (John 8:44) But we want those lies to be true, so we listen (2 Timothy 4:3), then we begin to justify in our mind, and we start taking baby steps down, down, down...

I’m so very thankful to Jesus that I am not under the power of Satan any more. (Colossians 2:20) I still make lots of mistakes every day. My human nature can seriously trip me up from time to time. But, then Jesus picks me up and dusts me off - and I’m like new again. (Psalm 103:11-13)

I belong to the King of the Universe. I am HIS, bought and paid for with His very blood. HE defeated my enemy, and He has given me His very Spirit to guide, protect, strengthen and rescue me from every situation. Every time I reject Satan’s lies, I do it by the Power of the Holy Spirit. And the more I refuse to listen to the lies of the Enemy, the more clearly I can hear Jesus whispering in my ear, “the Spirit in you, child, is greater than the spirit of this world. Be strong, resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

And it starts with simply capturing that little thought.

Psalm 103:11-13 (New Living Translation)
For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
The LORD is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.

Psalm 139:2-4 (New Living Translation)
For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
The LORD is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.

1 Peter 5:8 (New Living Translation)
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

John 8:44 (New Living Translation)
For you are the children of your father the devil and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.


2 Timothy 4:3 (New Living Translation)
For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.


Colossians 2:20a (New Living Translation)
You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world


James 4:7-8 (New Living Translation)
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you.


http://youtu.be/b9JqhYTjHl0  - Before the Throne of God Above - Shane and Shane


Holy Father, You provide everything I need for life and godliness.  You are patient and forgiving, full of grace and mercy.  I'm so thankful for Your love and forgiveness.  Father, thank You for sending Your precious Son to die for me.  Because of His amazing love, my sins are forgiven.  My wounded soul is healed. 
Father, when I am weak, it is Your strength that upholds me.  When I take my eyes off of Jesus, it's Your Holy Spirit that draws me back.  You, Holy God, are always with me providing strength, courage, encouragement and hope. I know who I am without You to guide me, and I don't want to be that person. I can't do this life on my own and because of Jesus'sacrifice, I don't have to.  He is my Shepherd.  He leads me to safety through every danger and carries me when I cannot walk another step.  I will fear no evil because You are with me.  Thank You for loving me.  Thank You for saving me.  I give You all my praise and worship for You alone are worthy!  Be glorified in my life, Lord.  I am Yours forever.  I pray this in the blessed Name of my Redeemer, Jesus Christ.  Amen.