Monday, April 4, 2011

Raise A Praise!

Raise A Praise!
And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing. (Genesis 29:35)
Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebekah, the brother of Esau and the grandson of Abraham and Sarah. Jacob's name means deceiver, or trickery. He came out of the womb holding on to the heel of his twin brother Esau. Later in life, he persuaded Esau to sell him his birthright and tricked his father Isaac into blessing him instead of Esau. Out of fear of his brother's anger, he fled to his uncle Laban's house. Laban was the brother of Jacob's mother Rebekah. He lived in a city called Haran, a city in Mesopotamia (which today is a part of Syria). For a little while everything seemed to be working out for Jacob, however. It wasn't long before he and his uncle Laban began looking to get the best of each other. First, Jacob agreed to work seven years to be able to marry Laban's daughter Rachel, but on the honeymoon night when the time was completed, Laban pulled a fast one on Jacob. He switched Leah for Rachel (Genesis 29:16-30). When Jacob complained, Laban offered him Rachel also. There would however, be a catch. He would have to work for his uncle, an additional seven years. Jacob agreed
Jacob was now married to two sisters. Rachel of whom he loved so greatly, and Leah who he was forced to marry. Leah was hurt, and God consoled her by allowing her to have children. Leah was still very hurt, and she named her sons according to her hurt. Her first son was called Rueben, because she said "the Lord has seen my affliction and now my husband will love me" (Genesis 29:32). Son number two was Simeon, "because the Lord heard that I was unloved"ť (Genesis 29:33). Her third son was named Levi because she hoped that "this time my husband will become attached (Genesis 29:34). Her fourth and last son was the only child, not directly connected to Leah's relationship with her husband. She called him Judah. She said, "this time I will praise the Lord"ť (Genesis 29:35). Judah means praise.
Have you ever been in a situation where someone has been "preferred"ť over you? Someone at work got the promotion that you know you deserved, but the boss chose them over you. Your little sister seems to get all the attention from mom and mom seems to ignore you. The person you love doesn't love you back, but is in love with someone else. All this hurts. Someone once said to me "don't follow your painť". To follow your pain would mean that decisions are made based on what pain you are in. Leah named her children while following her pain. It is hard to function normally when you have been hurt. While in pain, Leah named her first three children Rueben (sight), Simeon (hear), and Levi (feel). Leah was not comforted as long as she dealt with her emotions, her pain, her senses. As soon as she stepped out in faith and let go of the senses (see, heard, and feel), she was comforted.
Carrying past hurts and pains will not change your situation. Choosing rather to praise your way through hurts and pains will certainly change your outlook. It is time to let go of your senses, and get into the spirit. If we walk in the spirit we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Our flesh wants to dwell on the mess we are in. Instead of dwelling on what you cannot change today or even have any control over, why don't you just Raise A Praise

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