– Genesis 31:1
Jibber Jabber Don't Matter
In this story, because God was blessing Jacob in everything he put his hand to, his jealous brother-in-laws were talking smack about him. Even his father-in-law, who was also prospering because of God's blessings through Jacob, had jealously changed his attitude towards Jacob. Even though he was doing everything right, and God was blessing everything he did, instead of being happy for him, his friends and his family turned against him.
Have you ever had that happen to you? Maybe it's happening right now. You are doing well at work, and because you've worked hard and because you are living in God's favor and walking in and through the Holy Spirit, everything you put your hand to is blossoming, and you are prospering at work, and at home. And even though you are in a good place, it just seems like the people who you want to share your blessings with, have turned their backs on you, and you find out that they have been talking behind your back.
Well in our scripture story, God tells Jacob to get up and move out of the situation. He promised Jacob that He would be with him. I don't think God had Jacob move in order to avoid all of the jibber-jabber-smack-talking that was going on. No, I think He moved him because Jacob was obedient, and he loved God, and relied on God, and he had the kind of relationship with God that He could use. Jacob wasn't being rescued, he was getting ready to be stretched so that he could grow. He had worked hard and he learned how to live in the F.O.G. (Favor Of God), and now he was in a place in his life where God needed him so that he could take on his next "God" assignment.
You see when God starts working in your life, and His blessings are evident and everyone around you knows that you have something different . . . people are going to talk about you. They are going to start asking questions, and sometimes, the problem is that they won't come to you directly . . . instead, they'll start talking amongst themselves. The suppositions and the guess-timations will start flying and before you know it, a negative statement gets legs, and even though there is no truth to it whatsoever, it becomes the hot topic and everyone will believe it's so.
I know it's painful, and I know it's unfair, but I also know that God is aware of His relationship with you and He will take care of the gossipers and the back-biters. He is on your side, and He has your back, and He covers it with Grace, and when the moment is right, He will take you to your next assignment in life. No matter what the water-cooler gang is saying; no matter what your relatives think about you; no matter what . . . when you are ready, and when He says it's time, your path will become clear and you will remain prosperous and your life will continue to be blessed.
The key is to wait for Him to say "Move." Don't, out of discouragement, or because of the pain of rejection, move on your own. The Lord is your refuge. He is your Strong Tower. He IS the Strong God, who will keep you safely moving forward in the rich life He has planned for you. So keep on keeping on – keep on truckin baby – onward through the F.O.G. – be brave, be strong . . . and be blessed!
Prayer
Father, thank You for keeping us safe when others can't see past their own insecurities. Thank You for allowing us to gracefully continue living in the shadow of Your favor, even though sometimes, people talk behind our backs. Thank You for seeing, for hearing, and for knowing what we go through. It is a comfort to know that You have our backs when it seems like everyone else is against us.
Have a blessed day everyone!
– Richard
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