Let’s talk about the story of Leah and Rachel. Here we have two sisters who are in a rivalry. Can you guess why?! Some of you probably guessed it… It was over a man! His name was Jacob. Rachel was the sister with beauty and Leah was the sister with a lazy eye.
Jacob was in love with Rachel; heck he worked seven years to be able to marry her. Unfortunately, those seven years ended up turning into another seven years because Rachel and Leah’s father tricked Jacob into marrying Leah instead of Rachel. How did he do this?! Let’s just say with a lot of wine and a veil!
Jacob works another seven years to show his love for Rachel. They end up getting married, but after marriage comes another problem. Rachel is barren and can’t have children. While on the other end Jacob and Leah keep popping out children.
If you remember back to when I wrote a blog about Hannah and Peninnah and how Hannah couldn’t conceive but Peninnah could. They were both married to the same man, but just like Jacob and Rachel, Elkanah’s love was with Hannah.
Hannah faced a lot of heartache and taunting from her rival, but she kept her focus on God. She cried out to God, year after year for a child and long story short scripture says “and, the Lord remembered her” and Hannah was able to conceive.
Alright, let’s take a look back at Rachel and Leah. Instead of Rachel going to God year after year for a child, she chose to manipulate her situation. She told Jacob to sleep with her servant so that she could give him a child; the servant gives him two. The rivalry continues, and Leah has her servant sleep with Jacob now. Another two children the servant gives to him. It doesn’t stop there Leah ends up giving him another three children. Jacob is having kids on kids on kids all due to rivalry, but that’s a different story!
Although there is so much manipulation and drama going on, scripture says “Then God remembered Rachel” and He gave her the ability to conceive. Even though, Rachel took matters into her own hands and made a mess of everything, God “still remembered her by name” and gave her a second chance by allowing her to conceive.
So… no matter where you are in life whether you are Rachel who manipulated her situation or Hannah who took her weakness up with God, everything can change in a matter of moments. All God has to do is “remember you!” God has the ability to meet us in our place of worship (Hannah) or in our place of mess (Rachel) either way; He can change our circumstances.
Here you have Hannah and Rachel facing so much hurt, pain and rejection. Two totally different stories, handled two different ways, but God “remembered them” both. Romans 2:11 says “There is no favoritism with God.” HCSB
God has the ability to bless you in your mess or bless you when you have no mess. Don’t get down on yourself because you didn’t do something right, or the way someone else did it. Trust God to remember you in His timing and bless you the way He wants to bless you.
There are valuable lessons we have to learn in the seasons that we are currently operating in. Remember season’s come and go and they don’t last forever. Your new season is on its way!