06/08/2017 - A MAN WHO KNEW HOW TO SERVE

• 
• 
• 
• 

And he said to them, “Do not hinder me, since the Lord has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master. Genesis 24.56

Before Abraham’s servant heard what was his mission amongst his relatives, he gave the patriarch a condition. He said that if the young woman did not go with him, he should take Isaac to Nahor. Promptly, Abraham said no, since he was a man of prayer and knew the divine plan. When we have God’s direction, we must close our ears to the conditions, so that we may not depart from the true plan, nor fall into the devil’s traps.

Before the servant arrived in the determined location, without knowing exactly where he would be blessed, he prayed, and his prayer uncovered the following situations. After he prayed, his role was to wait. Then, he was stunned with what happened. The young woman was beautiful, and at the same time, very kind. She gave water to the servant and to his camels. It seemed like he had seen the same thing as Rebecca. God is perfect!

Abraham’s servant did not agree anything with Isaac’s future wife, but the Lord had put the right words in his prayer and in the young woman’s heart. While she gave water to the animals to drink, he observed her in silence to see if God had brought the purpose of his journey. Then, the servant gave her gifts and asked whose daughter she was. At that moment, he knew that the young woman was Abraham’s niece, and that she had enough place for him and his camels to stay overnight. After these discoveries, the servant bowed down and worshipped the Lord!

Since the first encounter with Rebecca, still in the well, he saw that the divine hand did not falter to guide him. He recognized that he had been guided to the exact place. She ran and told the good news to the family. When God is in control, there is no way something can go wrong. The Word declares that all things cooperate to the good of those who love God (Romans 8:28). Follow the orientations of the Most High, and He will guide you. Amen?

Laban, Rebecca’s brother, heard this story and went to meet the man sent by Abraham. When he got to him, Laban greeted him as blessed by the Lord and invited him to enter in the house, together with the men that were with him. Until then, everything was going fine, but if it was God’s plan, it would continue being successful. They served food to the servant, but he said that he would not eat before saying why he was there. Then, he started saying how Abraham had prospered.

The moment of great suspense arrived, when he would reveal the purpose of his mission. Without fear or trembling, the man declared that his master had sent him with express orders to find a bride for his son. After he explained everything, he asked if they would be kind to Abraham; otherwise, they would have to tell him the decision at that moment. The answer of Bethuel, the father of Laban and Rebecca, was that it came from the Lord and he could not refuse it.

The mission that that servant received from the friend of God (Ja 2.23), his master, could not have gone better. Everything had fit properly, like a well assembled machine. As he explained why he had gone there, he heard from Rebecca’s father and brother that she could go with him. Thus, the servant bowed before the Lord and gave gifts to Rebecca, her brother, and her mother.

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares