Genesis 29:1-30

“‘What have you done to me?’ Jacob raged at Laban. ‘I worked seven years for Rachel! Why have you tricked me?’” (Genesis 29:25, NLT)

Do you remember the lessons you learned from school? As I look back on my school days some of my hardest teachers were the ones who made the biggest impression on me…and from whom I learned the most. The Bible tells us that no discipline (instruction, correction) seems pleasant at the time, but painful (Hebrews 12:11). But afterwards it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Jacob would learn many hard lessons in the School of Laban. The first was on his wedding night. Jacob fell in love with Rachel who had a beautiful figure and a lovely face. He agreed to work seven years for his Uncle Laban to marry Rachel, but they only seemed like a few days because of his love for her! But on the wedding night, Laban took Leah, Rachel’s older “weak-eyed” sister, and gave her to Jacob instead of Rachel. And Jacob didn’t realize what had happened until the next morning! The one who had deceived his father Isaac had now been deceived. Jacob was reaping what he had sown.

This was only the beginning of the trickery Jacob would endure from Laban over the next thirteen years. But through it all God was working out His plans for Jacob and his descendants. These were hard lessons, but they were extremely valuable in making Jacob into Israel—the one who prevailed with God and was ruled by God.

Are you going through a difficult time? Perhaps you are reaping the consequences of a bad decision. The best thing you can do is to humble yourself beneath God’s mighty hand, confess your sin, and submit to His will. He is a tough instructor, but His lessons are more valuable than gold!

On the other hand, maybe you are suffering due to no fault of your own. Sometimes it is God’s will for us to suffer for His purpose and glory. What should we do?

“Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.” (1 Peter 4:19, NKJV)

If we commit everything to the Lord, we can trust that He will be with us and will bring good from it. He did it for Jacob, and He will do it for us. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.