Process

Genesis 29:1-14

¹Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east.

²As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well’s mouth was large,

³and when all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well.

⁴Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where do you come from?” They said, “We are from Haran.”

⁵He said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.”

⁶He said to them, “Is it well with him?” They said, “It is well; and see, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep!”

⁷He said, “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go, pasture them.”

⁸But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.”

⁹While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.

¹⁰Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.

¹¹Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud.

¹²And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and told her father.

¹³As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things,

¹⁴and Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh!” And he stayed with him a month.

Just as Abraham sent his servant to get a wife for his son, Isaac, so Jacob now goes to the same people to find a wife for himself. This is a new Jacob. He has been touched by the living God and seems a little more willing to be led. At the well he meets the love of his life (Rachel) and is given some rather impressive physical strength (by God) to move the well stone in order to help her water her flock. It’s a good introduction to the future for him. He and Rachel have a great “how I met the love of my life” story to tell the grandkids.

The difference between Jacob’s story before he met with God and after is that now he knows that his life is in God’s hands. It will take some time for him to mature into an understanding of that reality but he seems to be working with it, at least for the moment. That’s one of the blessings of becoming aware of these Old Testament stories. We get to see that life in God’s Kingdom is a process, not a destination. Of course, eternity in heaven is a destination – but that comes after death. In the meantime, we are here where God wants us, living out His will and His ways for us. It’s a process.

Having been given the time to do some serious thinking this summer, I am even more acutely aware of the massive changes God has made in my character over the last few decades. Being on the older side is certainly rewarding in terms of perspective. Reflecting back and seeing where God has worked in your life is a rewarding experience. Our hero, Jacob, is just beginning that process and his life is in for some changes. But God’s faithful guidance and presence is what makes the difference – in his life and in ours.