Jacob Meets His Match, and Marries

In Genesis 29, Jacob arrives in Haran. It will be 20 years before he is able to return to the Promised Land!

God had promised to bless Jacob, and had said, "I will not leave you." And Jacob will, indeed, be blessed with numerous descendants; Jacob will indeed have God divinely overlooking and overruling on his behalf… yet the fulfillment of these divine promises and blessings in Jacob’s life looks very different from what we might expect!

Yes, Jacob will eventually become wealthy and have a big family – but before that happens he will be cheated numerous times, experience heart-break and failure, and find himself helplessly frustrated in his own purposes and plans.

God’s presence with us, and blessing on us, does not always look like we expect it to. This is because part of the blessing of God, one of the surest promises of God, is that God will bring into our lives whatever is necessary to teach us to depend on him, look to him, love him supremely.

God continues to pursue Jacob with his chastening, sanctifying purposes for Jacob’s life, no matter what. Is God perhaps working in a similar way in your life right now?