Posted by Pastor Tim email me at ( - my user name - )@believersbay.com
on October 31, 2009, 4:54 pm
of doing something right!
By Tim Russ
Who among us has not been caught in the act of doing something wrong? That dread moment when for an instant we made an incorrect choice only to discover that someone was watching. The embarrassment and intensity of the situation varies but the result is the same. We learn the others are watching and that they tend to notice us more when we make mistakes than when we do something right.
Genesis chapter 24 tells us how Abraham, father of many nations, sent his chief servant, Eliezer of Damascus (Gen 15:2), to select a wife for his miracle son, Isaac. God had promised Abraham that his children would be as numerous as the stars of the sky. Abraham was justifiably concerned about the type of woman that would work with his son to produce this twinkling mass of descendants. He gave strict instructions to his servant about how to handle the selection.
Imagine that you were Eliezer. You have been entrusted with everything that your master has and you have been entrusted with selecting the specific woman for your future master. Yes, Eliezer approached this situation with fervent prayer. He asked God to identify the woman as a woman of kindness and a woman that had a servant’s heart.
It was the custom in Mesopotamia between 2000 and 1500 BC for childless couples to adopt an heir. Sometimes that heir was a slave. Adoption contracts stipulated that a natural son subsequently born would replace the adopted son as chief heir. When Isaac was born Eliezer had to readjust his thinking from being an heir to being the servant of the heir. Yet, he remained faithful as chief servant over his master’s possessions. Since he was such a faithful steward, I cannot help but imagine that he must have selected a woman that most closely fit the desires of his heart as well.
Rebekah was faithfully doing her daily job of fetching water. Little did she know that doing what was right “one more time” would bring her a tremendous reward. She could have gathered at the well and gossiped. She could have given Eliezer a drink of water without going the extra mile to offer water to his camels. Not this lady. She had a heart of gold and thoughts of silver. She felt for this man who had traveled far and she felt for his animals.
Rebekah was caught in the act of doing something right. The result of Eliezer’s positive approach was nothing less than the establishment of the Jewish nation and the lineage of our savior. How we approach each day and each task in our day will have epic effects. None of us knows if doing our daily chores with kindness will bring fabulous results. What we do know is that we can approach those tasks with a positive attitude. Rebekah and Eliezer were two positive servants in the family of God. Let’s allow their examples to change our negative approach or reinforce our positive approach.
Sharing the Love of God with Common Sense
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