11 Jacob to Israel, A life transformed

Genesis 35:16-29

Jacob then encounters another devastating blow in his tumultuous life, his beloved Rachel dies in child birth, the girl he had served Laban 14 years for. What is God doing now? How can this Almighty God be in such tragedy? The truth is that we all die therefore the issue is not why but what. What can God teach me through such times. We don't read much about this time in Jacobs life except that we know that there was one child of around 3 -4 years old. A son that had been given by God as an answer to a cry 'Give me children or I die', a cry that needs to go up from all those who are truly filled with the Spirit of God, those who claim to be 'Christian'. God does nothing against free will and He certainly does nothing except in answer to prayer. Prayer is something that can be praise, thankfulness, gratitude, guidance or even distress as in Rachel's case.

This cry from Rachel ultimately cost her her life. Had she known this would she still have asked for children? The motive of the ask was not one from a selfish heart but from a heart that wanted her maternal instincts to be fulfilled. In a spiritual sense each one of us has desires within us that need to be fulfilled. By the Grace of God, through a transformed life, our desire is to bear spiritual children and to then nurture that life so that it matures into a life that bears fruit.

We are all spiritual, we cannot say "I am not into spiritual stuff", its too late because God created us spiritual. We are a spirit with a body not a body with a spirit. We need God to enlighten and possess that space for His glory. The on going experience will change our lives for ever.

So as Rachel cried 'Give me children or else I die' so we need to echo that cry and be moved so that we have this spiritual desire that 'all mankind might be saved'

Jacobs response to this tragedy was that he would not allow the name of his son born at this time to bear the name of "Son of my Sorrows", Benomi, but he called him "Son of my right hand", Benjamin. What do we do in these difficult situations, do we  give the devil the glory by dwelling in the past or do we give God the glory by pressing through and claiming victory.

Jacob never stayed at the place of his loss, he remembered Rachel and he took the two boys that he knew he was responsible for and moved on to a place that God had predestined for him, a place of reconciliation.

We read that Jacob went on to the place of firm ground, that is the place where Isaac his father still lived, it was also the place where Abraham, his grandfather had settled. The place was mamre which means 'place of firm ground' or 'firmness'.

It is at this place that Jacob, Esau and Isaac where reunited and where Jacob and Esau buried their father.

God has a wonderful way of bringing about repentance and reconciliation. God brings a man or a woman through many trials that causes them to face and challenge who they are and who they are meant to be in God.

It is only in God that we can find true meaning of life and it takes a lifetime to accomplish it.
Are we willing to follow Him who set us free through His Son or are we going to sit on the side lines and miss out on the action?

God wants to bring all of us into an ongoing relationship with Him that not only transforms our lives but also that of those around us.

On reflection let us look afresh at our lives and ask, "Does it reflect what God desires of me and do I honour Him and give Him what He rightly deserves based on what I know He has done for me?".

Lord show me where there are hindrances in my life and help me to address them. Give me this clear vision and purpose in my life that despite disastrous events or my sinful failings I am able to take the necessary steps that will bring me back to you, to the place where I know that I am safe in your loving arms, however great the cost.
Oh Lord thank you for your protection and thank you for your sustained Mercy that keeps me in your way and causes my enemies to flee from before me. Help me oh God to be thankful and grateful for all you have done in my life and in times of need cause me to remember the place where you first met me, my 'God Encounter'

This is the final instalment of "Jacob to Israel, A life transformed"