Who Then Is Beautiful?
12 Then he prayed, "O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. 14 May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too'-let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master."...
..... 21 Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the LORD had made his journey successful.
Bee's Thoughts:
Whenever I read the above story, it reminds me of Proverbs 31:30 (Contemporary English Version):
Charm can be deceiving,Being beautiful in look is not enough to be choosen as the wife of Isaac. She has to have a heart of love and care... not only for the people around her, but also for strangers and life stocks.
and beauty fades away,
but a woman
who honors the LORD
deserves to be praised.
Isn't such a woman too hard to find these days, though not impossible? Yes! People are getting more self-centered and selfish, and too busy to even care for the person close to them, much less a stranger. Yet the biblical principle of finding a wife with such virtues stays. Anything less means more heartaches down the road. We have already seen too many to need more evidence.
To have such virtue, the woman has to be "a woman who honors the LORD". For only the Lord can teach one to truly love.
Another biblical principle I see is to be specific in our prayer when seeking a partner. The chief servant of Abraham prayed to God specifically and God showed him Rebekah. He is very sure that she is THE ONE.
Dear Lord, thank you for reminding me that you look at my heart rather than my outward appearance. Thank you for reminding me to be specific in my prayers so I may know your will and to do it.
Tommy's Thoughts:
From Rebekah’s attitude and actions, we can learn a lot about how to redeem the time by faithfully fulfilling our current obligations. Our daily life is filled with mundane and repetitive tasks like Rebekah’s trip to the well and watering the camels. Yet, she performed her tasks diligently and willingly. Her qualities put her in the right place, at the right time with the right attitude when God matches her with Isaac.
As I reflect on this, I know I have various tasks and responsibilities at hand. Though I may not know God’s plan for my future, but I do know things I need to act upon today. Things like focusing my energy toward maturity and Christlikeness. Making most of each moment I have now and preparing myself for the next season in my life. Thank you Lord again for this wonderful lesson I received from Your Word. Amen.
.......the devotion of Bee and Tommy
