When God Sends Us Away

Author: Joseph

Date: April 29, 2018

Jacob was sent away by his mother, Rebekah, to go away to the land of Paddan-aram, where he would be with Rebekah’s relatives. He was sent away because Esau, his jealous twin brother, hated him and sought to kill him after Jacob had stolen his blessing. Rebekah sent Jacob away with the hope that God would provide for him the protection he needed for a short time, but as the story goes on, Jacob is separated form his family for many years.

Jacob worked many difficult years for Laban, his uncle, but also found blessing while he was there. God made him prosperous and provided for him a wife, as well as many children, animals, and servants. Jacob was doing well although he was far away from his parents and the place he once called home.

Sometimes our circumstances seem unfavorable and even seem as if they will bury our hope for a future, but with God we can rest assured that He is in absolute control of everything in our lives. And when God, our good Father, is in control, He always has what is best in mind and wants to bless us.

Jacob could have fallen into depression or kept himself in servitude to Laban, but he did not because his hope was elsewhere – in God. Laban began to act unkindly to Jacob and was embittered toward him. Just when Jacob’s circumstance began to turn against him for the worse, God intervened by telling Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you” (Genesis 31:3). Rachel and Leia encouraged Jacob to do just as God had told him to do as well, so they set off to the land where Isaac dwelt. After many years of hard work, God gave Jacob rest.

God was always with Jacob, granting him success and favor, and God continued to be with him, showing him the way to go and comforting him with hope that could only be found in Him. Like Jacob, we should not look at our hard labors as just arduous work. In everything that we do, we should affix our hope in God’s plan for our lives and have an attitude that reflects this hope.

Do you look forward to the future that God has planned for your life? Or, are you trapping yourself in circumstances that will only last for a short time? Remember that when you are in difficulties that God is still with you and actively working towards His plans for you.

Bible Passage: Genesis 27:1 - 31:21

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB). www.lockman.org