Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he owned, “. . . You will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”
–Genesis 24:2, 4
Former House Speaker Tip O’Neill used to say, “All politics is local.” By that, he meant most people are not nearly as interested in national policy or political philosophy as they are in how politics affects them personally. When voters go to the ballot box, they want to know how each candidate’s policies would change their everyday lives. The same is true of biblical truth. As a pastor, I have found that most people are not nearly as interested in the philosophical as they are in the practical. They want to know exactly how biblical truth relates to their everyday lives. That certainly is true when it comes to knowing God’s will.
During the past several weeks, we’ve been learning about the various ways that God communicates His direction for our lives. Sometimes He speaks to us through the Bible. Sometimes He speaks through prayer. Sometimes He speaks through the counsel of other people. Occasionally, He might use supernatural signs or circumstances. Last week, we studied one of the most overlooked ways God speaks to us: through the desires He places in our hearts. But how does all of that apply to whatever questions or decisions you and I are facing right now? How do we move from the philosophical to the practical?
Let’s take these principles and apply them to an area of life in which most people want to know God’s will: the choice of a mate. You might be thinking, Pastor, that doesn’t apply to me right now. I’m already blessed with–or stuck with–a mate. First of all, it’s possible that your life situation could change. Just because that issue is settled right now doesn’t mean it’s going to be settled forever. Second, the principles for choosing a mate are ones you can pass along to your children and grandchildren. Finally, and most importantly, these principles about discovering God’s will can apply to whatever decision you’re confronting in life.
This week, we’re going to study a passage we briefly touched on a few weeks ago, and that is the story of Abraham securing a wife for his son Isaac. Abraham, now advanced in years, was concerned about the many descendants God had promised him. He knew it was time for his son Isaac to find a bride to produce those grandchildren and great-grandchildren. So in Genesis 24, Abraham told his servant Eliezer, in essence, “I want you to leave Canaan and go to Nahor, where my relatives live, and there I want you to find a bride for Isaac.” The resulting story is a perfect illustration of how to find God’s will for your life.
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Today’s devotion is adapted from “How to Choose a Mate” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2008.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.