Praise!

I mentioned in an earlier blog how I’ve been captivated by Lifetime movies, and in the past few I’ve watched I’ve seen a theme of love-starved people seeking love from anywhere they could get it. Little did I expect to hear a similar theme as I studied Genesis 29 about the story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel. I always cherished the love story between Jacob and Rachel because Jacob demonstrated his love for Rachel by working an additional seven years to be able to marry her. I treated Leah just like the lovestruck couple did by ignoring her, her pain, and her desire to be loved. That is until I took a deeper look and placed myself in her shoes. Leah was the older sister, and Jewish custom was for the father to marry the older sister off before the younger. Laban, her father, tricked Jacob into thinking he was getting the younger sister, and then he switched it up on him on the wedding night. I always imagined Jacob’s disappointment in finding Leah the next morning, but what must it have been like to be Leah who was so openly rejected by her husband? What must it have been like knowing your husband is married to you but loves another? No doubt, incredibly painful. But there’s more. Leah thought by having Jacob’s children it would make him love her more, but it didn’t. I encourage you to read the whole story, but I want to dive into the turnaround. Leah gave birth to a son whom she named Judah, which means praise. I thought about the importance of the birth of Judah because it would be from his line that Jesus would be born into the world. How awesome that Jesus comes from the birth line of praise! Furthermore what change must have occurred in Leah that she would come from an unloved place and still name her son Judah? What a change God must have done in her. And isn’t that what Jesus does when we invite Him to live in us? Change us from the inside out? From Judah to Jesus…from praise to a Savoir…praise, rejoicing, and salvation even after a season of bitterness. If you are running low on joy, do not lose hope. Know that better days are coming. “…Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5 NKJV) “Sing to the Lord, praise His name; proclaim His salvation day after day.” (Psalm 96:2 NIV)