“You know that I’ve worked for your father with all my strength, yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times.  However, God has not allowed him to harm me.  If he said, ‘The speckled ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, ‘The streaked ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked young.  So God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me.”     Genesis 31:6-9 (NIV)

     When the Lord told Jacob to leave Laban and go back home, He explained the situation to his wives, Rachel and Leah.  Laban was their father, so this was not just a work-related dispute; it was also a family dispute.

     We can see in the text that Jacob “kept his cool” throughout the years of Laban’s unfair treatment.  Rather than try to tackle this problem himself, he allowed God to fight the battle on his behalf.  Psalm 140:12 reminds us, “I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.” (NIV)  Let’s see how God deals with cheaters.

Success won’t last

     Laban probably felt pretty good about himself.  First, he was able to get 14 years of work out of Jacob in exchange for both of his daughters.  To Laban, that was a 100% increase over the original negotiation of seven years.  Overall, it was not a bad return.

     Then, he attempted to pull off another great negotiation in exchange for Jacob continuing to tend the flock.  He thought that the idea of separating the flock by color would work out in his favor.  After all, who would expect white sheep and goats to produce colored offspring?

     For six years, the white flocks repeatedly produced colored offspring.  Seeing something like that would lead us to proclaim, “But God!”  Only God could turn a seemingly impossible situation into a possible one.  Laban may have thought he would be able to get away with his plot, but God had another plan.

     Our ways of cheating may not be as extreme as Laban’s, but we can all think of a time where we took advantage of someone’s kindness or weakness in order to get ahead.  It may have worked temporarily, but it did not go unnoticed.  “He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success.” (Job 5:12 NIV)

Eternity is forever

     The worst part is that the suffering is not a temporary thing.  If we do not change our sinful ways, the agony will last for eternity.  Psalm 37:38 reads, “But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.” (NIV)

     God confirms this is Isaiah 57:21, “‘There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked.’” (NIV)  Is there really any temporal pleasure that is worth an eternity of torment away from God?

It doesn’t have to be that way

     God is not out to punish us, but He will correct us if we stray from His path.  Obedience will keep us from unnecessary heartache and pain.  Encouragement is found in Ezekiel 33:14-15.  “And if I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right – if he gives back what he took in pledge fro a loan, returns what he has stolen, follows the decrees that give life, and does no evil, he will surely live; he will not die.” (NIV)

     Being fair and considerate of others is essential to the Christian body as a whole.  Micah tells us what to do.  “He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the LORD require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8 NIV)

     The best part is that there is still time to turn things around.  We are not promised tomorrow, so let’s begin working toward fairness today.

“Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, ‘Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father.’”     Genesis 31:1 (NIV)

     When things are going right in our lives, especially financially, people will notice.  Some will even have a problem with it.  They will wonder why things are working for us and not for them.  They will make attempts to find something wrong with our success, hoping to slow it down or stop it completely.  Here are some tips to remember when dealing with the “haters” in our lives.

Don’t give them a reason

     There is always someone watching.  What they see and what they interpret it to mean can be completely wrong.  But if everything we do is honest and true, there is nothing to worry about.  It cannot come back to harm us.  The words may hurt for awhile, but we will prevail in the end.  Proverbs 10:9 says, “The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.” (NIV)

Don’t boast

     Jacob was a hard worker and made Laban very successful.  When given his turn, his efforts proved profitable for him as well.  But Jacob was careful not to flaunt his success or wealth because he knew that the source of his strength was God.  Jeremiah 9:23-24 tells us, “This is what the LORD says, ‘Let not … the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me…” (NIV)

Stay focused on the bigger picture

     Haters often come in to distract us.  If we are not careful, hearing their envy and jealousy can cause us to lose our focus.  Our lack of concentration may lead us to make poor decisions that reduce our productivity and success.

     Remember, the enemy does not want us to be successful.  He knows that God wants to do great works through us.  Our efforts can impact large numbers of people, and it can have a domino effect that continues to touch people for generations to come.

     Let’s imagine how our circulatory system works.  The heart pumps blood throughout the body through arteries.  Those arteries travel throughout the body to ensure that blood reaches every area of our body.

     Now, imagine if there is a blockage stopping the bloodflow in one of the main arteries.  Every minor artery connected to that main artery will no longer receive blood.  Every part of the body connected to those minor arteries will no longer be able to function without that source of nourishment.

     So, if we lose focus, the enemy has successfully closed off that main artery (us) and impacted the rest of the body that was dependent on it.  We cannot give him that kind of power.

Remember the responsibility

     As a main artery, we have to remember that we are responsible for others.  God has given to us so that we can give to others.  John reminded us in 1 John 3:17-18, “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” (NIV)  Can God count on us to be a flowing artery for Him?

“When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels.”     Genesis 24:22 (NIV)

     This is the introduction to Rebekah’s story.  To provide some background, Abraham sent his servant back to their hometown to find a wife for his son, Isaac.

     This was a major undertaking for the servant, and he wanted to do his job well.  When the servant made it to the town of Nahor, he prayed to God to direct him to the woman God had in mind for Isaac.

     God answered the prayer of Abraham’s servant, helping him to find Rebekah drawing water at the well.

     While there are numerous life lessons that we can find in Rebekah’s story, we will just look at a few.

God has a plan for our lives

     While we may go through life thinking that we are in control of our present and our future, that thought is really far from the truth.  God put us here on earth for a reason.  He has a plan for our lives.

     As we can see from Rebekah’s story, God can change the direction of our lives in an instant.  Rebekah was doing her regular, daily chores, drawing water from the well for her family.  Little did she know that God would place her there at just the right time so that she could meet Abraham’s servant.

     God had a plan for Rebekah’s life.  He wanted Rebekah to be Isaac’s wife.

Can we do God’s will?

     We are made in God’s image.  We are God’s representation here on earth.  God uses us to help people come to better know Him and His love.

     Abraham’s servant was in a foreign country, and in need of water for himself and his camels.  The servant asked Rebekah for a drink, and she was kind enough to oblige, as well as to draw water for the camels.

     God will, from time to time, send people in need our way.  We should be aware of these opportunities to let God’s light shine before others.  As with Rebekah and Abraham’s servant, we could be the answer to someone’s prayer.

Our lives will be changed and blessed as a result of our obedience

     Although Rebekah didn’t know it at the time, her simple act of kindness would lead to major changes in her life.  Immediately, she was provided with gifts of gold jewelry.  Later, she would go from small town girl to Isaac’s wife.  She became part of Jesus’ family tree.

     We have no idea what else God has in store for us and our lives.  Like Rebekah, our obedience can lead to both short-term, temporary blessings, as well as long-term eternal blessings for us and our families.  The only way we can find out is through our patience and obedience to God’s will.

“On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him.”     Genesis 17:23 (NIV)

     It is always interesting to me that, as Christians, we know the difference between right and wrong, yet we still find ourselves choosing to do what is wrong in some situations.  Granted, this is a natural, human response to life.  Many of us pray daily for help fighting against this weakness.

     In this verse, Abraham reminds us of three keys when it comes to obedience.

1)  We cannot procrastinate when God gives us instructions

     The first four words of this verse make our role very clear.  “On that very day” shows that Abraham didn’t put God instructions to him on hold.  He didn’t tell God he would think about it or pray on it.  He didn’t go to family or friends to run it by them.  God told him to do something, and he did it – on that very day.

     Oftentimes, when it comes to our finances, we procrastinate on making decisions.  We don’t want to take the time to put a budget together.  We put off balancing the checkbook.  We tell ourselves that we will start tithing when the bills aren’t so bad.  We continue to use the credit card because it is more convenient.  The list goes on.

     Putting things off usually causes us to dig ourselves deeper into the hole we are already in.  It makes it harder to climb out, and eventually it begins to feel hopeless.  We have to get away from delaying the inevitable.  There is no better time than now to start working toward a better life.

2)  No one is exempt

     Abraham took “every male” with him.  No one was left out.  There are no exceptions to God’s instructions.

     We can’t say that someone is exempt from being a good financial steward because they are too young.  Youth is the best time to start developing great financial habits.

     There is no exemption for being “broke” or “poor.”  The tithe is a percentage, not a dollar amount.  God wants 10% of a dollar just as much as He wants 10% of a $10,000 paycheck.  If we are faithful with a little, we are more likely to be faithful with much.

3)  We need to do things God’s way, not our way

     This verse ends with four more very important words: “as God told him.”  Abraham shows us another great example of how we should handle life.  God will provide direction for us, but we have to seek Him and ask Him.

     God has plans for all of our finances, not just the 10% tithe.  But, more often than not, we make plans for that paycheck without any guidance from the source of that money.

     Could it be that we are afraid to ask God for direction because we are afraid of what that answer might be?  Mentally, we may decide that it is easier to mess up because of a lack of knowledge than because of outright disobedience.  But, regardless of why we do it, we know that messing up still puts us in a bad spot, and it can be hard to recover from some of our mistakes.

     Moving forward, let’s commit to following the example set by Abraham.  Let’s move away from procrastinating.  Let’s stop coming up with excuses for why we are “exempt.”  Let’s commit to seeking God’s guidance in all of our financial decisions.

“But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.”     Genesis 15:14 (NIV)

    We face challenges on a daily basis, whether at work, at home, or in between.  Some of those challenges are easy enough to work through, while others have us begging God for relief.

     In the midst of those struggles, we sometimes forget that God is with us.  We feel like we’re alone, yet He promised never to leave us or forsake us.

     When someone wrongs us, we are so quick to want to retaliate.  But God has told us that revenge is His.  We are instructed to love our enemies and to pray for them.

     How difficult can that be when we are hit daily with negativity?  How hard is that when there never appears to be any relief?

God sees

     But God sees what we’re going through.  He knows how we feel.  When bank fees hit for any and every reason, He takes note.  When the mortgage company refuses to work out a payment plan with us, He sees that, as well.  When the credit card companies increase their interest rates or double the minimum payment, God notices.

     God doesn’t want us to be enslaved.  Jesus came to free us.  Yet, we find ourselves chasing after the things of this world.  We allow ourselves to be held in bondage in exchange for these temporary pleasures.

It’s time to let go

     In those times, patience is crucial.  We have to learn to let go and let God.  He promises in the first part of the verse that He “will punish the nation they serve as slaves.”  Everyone we “serve” is in danger.

     We remember that the Israelites spent 40 years wandering in the desert.  They refused to “let God.”  Their disobedience brought years of heartache and disappointment.  In fact, it carried over from one generation to another.  Children were impacted by their parents’ disobedience.

     How long are we going to wander in our desert?  How long will we allow this bondage to last?

     The second part of this verse gives us a glimpse of what happens AFTER God comes in.  It says, “they will come out with great possessions.”

     That means that God is just waiting to pour blessings down on us.  He can do so much more for us than we can do for ourselves.  But God has thrown a condition in there.  The great possessions don’t come until AFTER God has come in on our behalf.

God can see more

     It’s hard to sit back and let God fight our battles.  We want so badly to feel that we can take care of things ourselves.  But more often than not, when we take matters into our own hands, we make the situation worse.

     As parents, we try to guide our children to help them avoid some consequences that we know are likely to result from certain actions they are considering.  At the same time, our heavenly Father can see the consequences of some of our potential actions.  He wants to guide us toward blessings, not curses.

     We just have to make a choice.  Who will we serve?  Those who control our temporary pleasures in this world or He who controls our eternal happiness away from this world?  There is no way to serve both.

     Can we make an effort to allow God to guide us in our decision-making, rather than taking matters into our own hands?