Can We Really Trust God? - Genesis 30:25-31:55

Can you recall a situation in your life that didn’t go the way you expected? Even our most well-thought-out plans rely on a host of variables outside of our control. Unlike our plans, God’s plan always comes to pass. As we see in Genesis, God’s ability to bless His people in unhindered by human deceitfulness.

On Sunday, Pastor Michael preached on Genesis 30:25-31:55, helping us see that we can trust God because He provides for and protects His people.

Jacob was ready to go back to his home country. He had served Laban and put up with his unfairness for two decades, and now it was time to go home. For his wages, Jacob made a modest request: he would receive every speckled and spotted sheep or goat and every black lamb from Laban’s flock. Rather than insist on receiving a share of the best of Laban’s animals, Jacob would settle for those with blemishes. Considering the effort Jacob had expended in serving Laban for so many years, he surely wasn’t requesting much.

Laban agreed to the deal, but devised a deceptive plan in his heart. Before Jacob collected the animals for himself, Laban removed the blemished animals from his flock and put them in the charge of his sons. Jacob was left access to a flock of spotless animals. In response, Jacob devised a plan of his own.

Jacob put white sticks in the area where the flocks mated, implementing a folk custom under the common belief that what animals saw while mating would influence their offspring. As it happened, the flocks gave birth to offspring that were striped, speckled, and spotted. Jacob’s plan seemed to have worked. Jacob continued this strategy as he selectively bred the stronger animals of the flock, leaving Laban to keep the weaker ones.

Ultimately, it was not Jacob’s breeding strategy that caused a large flock of strong animals with blemishes to come forth. The Lord provided for Jacob, despite Laban’s best effort to swindle him. 

Jacob later fled from Laban in secret, bringing along with him his wives, children, property, and livestock. Laban pursued Jacob and intended to do him harm, but before finding him, the Lord appeared to Laban in a dream and warned him not to say anything to Jacob. The Lord protected Jacob. The promise God made to Jacob in Bethel would surely come to pass.

In this passage, we see that God provided for and protected a man He had chosen by grace. The Lord treated Jacob far better than he deserved, and worked for his good even when Jacob couldn’t see it. How much can we who are in Christ relate to Jacob! Having experienced God’s saving grace, we can trust in His care for us each day.

As Michael said, “If God has provided for our greatest need and has promised to guard us until the end, can we not trust Him with the details of our lives?” 

We can trust the God of Bethel. He is faithful.

Resources:

Reflection Questions:

  • Is there anything in your life you’re tempted to trust in more than God?

  • How does contentment in the gospel fuel obedience in difficult circumstances?

  • How can you grow in displaying daily dependence upon God?

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