Scripture
Genesis 24:1-27
In Genesis 24, Abraham sends his servant who is in charge of everything he owns, to go find a wife for his son, Isaac. Abraham told his servant to go back to Abraham’s family, to the country he came from, and find a woman there. Abraham ensured his servant that the Lord would send his angel before him so that he could find Isaac a wife there. So, his servant obeyed, and set out on this journey. When he approached Nahor, his final destination, he stopped near the well when it was about evening. Now, this was wise because he knew that if he was looking for a woman, at the well in the evening would be the time to find them. That was the time the women go out to draw water.
As he waited, the servant prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show me kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘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.”
This servant has probably has worked for Abraham for quite a while and has seen the Lord bless Abraham as Abraham has faithfully followed and obeyed the Lord throughout his life. He knows that God can do anything, because he has seen it in Abraham’s life. So, he asks him to make it so clear so he doesn’t miss the woman Isaac is to marry.
The Lord answered the servant’s prayer so immediately and precisely how he asked him to. Before he even finished praying, a beautiful woman, Rebekah, came out with her jar on her shoulder. The servant does what he planned, asked her for a drink, which she gave him, and then offered to water her camels. He gave her a gold nose ring and bracelets and asked if he could stay at her house, which her and her family graciously invited him in. The next morning, Rebekah went back with the servant to travel to meet and marry Isaac.
God doesn’t always answer our prayers exactly the way we want him to. Sometimes he does, but I would say, more often than not, God knows that what we are praying for is not what’s best for us. He has such a good plan for us, one that we can’t possibly understand at one point in time. We can’t see the full picture, the whole story, but he can. Unanswered prayers are still so hard to wrestle with. Oftentimes though, God does answer—it may not be yes; it may be no, or just not yet.
I can’t count the amount of times God hasn’t answered my prayers, and, for the most part, I’m thankful for it. If I got what I prayed for when I was 12, 18, 20, 24, etc., I wouldn’t be where I am today, who I am today. In the moments when I don’t understand or when I’m frustrated with God’s answer, or the seemingly lack of an answer, I just have to remind myself that I can trust God and that his plans and his ways are good—so much better than my own.
Prayer
God, help me to trust that you have a good plan for me, and even when I don’t understand it, you are still good and you are still working. Thank you that you hear all of my prayers and that you answer them with my best interest at heart, even when it may not be the answer I want, or when it seems like there is no answer. You are still good and I trust you.
Questions/Journal Prompts
Feel free to use these questions as a guide as you journal and/or pray.
1. What are some times in your life when God has answered your prayer? Was it the way you expected him to answer it?
2. Look back at the moments when it seemed like God didn’t answer your prayer. Was there something he did instead that ended up being even better than what you prayed for?
3. What is your prayer? Spend some time praying, or writing out a prayer, about what is on your heart right now. Trust that God will answer it with what’s best for you.
Songs to listen to
Spend some time listening to these songs, reflecting on the words, and sitting with Jesus.
“Way Maker” by Leeland https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJCV_2H9xD0
“Blessings” by Laura Story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQan9L3yXjc
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