Manipulating or Trusting?

Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps. (Jeremiah 10:23 NIV)

Isaac and Rebekah started out trusting God. Their divinely arranged marriage is an inspiring story (you can read about it in Genesis 24). When Rebekah couldn’t have children, the Bible tells us that Isaac prayed for her and she became pregnant with twins–Esau and Jacob (25:21). And when the twins jostled each other within her, Rebekah was wise to go to inquire of the Lord, and the Lord revealed His plan for her sons. “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger” (vv.22-23). But instead of trusting God to fulfill His Word in His own time, Rebekah decided to take matters in her own hands. When Isaac was about to bless his older son Esau, Rebekah manipulated the situation in order for her younger son, Jacob, to receive the blessing (Genesis 27). In this way, Rebekah tried to fulfill the word of prophecy that ‘the older will serve the younger.’ Sadly, this created sibling rivalry and separation for many years. Clearly, this wasn’t what God had intended.

I’m sad to say that there are still many existing ‘Rebekahs’ out there; believing Christians, who start out trusting God but eventually decide that God is taking too long to fulfill His plan for their lives, so they decide to take matters in their own hands. And although outwardly it may seem like they’re doing great and living within God’s will, it’s not long before others begin to smell their cooked up stories (pun intended). Manipulating our circumstances says a lot about us. It says that we don’t trust God enough to let Him handle our circumstances for us and that we know better (when in reality, we only make matters worse!). So let go and let God!

Let go. Let God.