When God Made You Rest

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The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing
.

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    He makes me lie down in green pastures..

OK STOP RIGHT THERE.

Today He MADE me lie down for real hahaa.

I'm down with flu. Ok lah just a common flu. I got a whole lot of stuff at work, but if I need to rest, then SO BE IT GOD, I might as well enjoying my sleep-in day. So after a few episodes of falling asleep-waking up-falling asleep, He wakes me up with a thought.

Next week a beloved of mine is going back for good.

For those who read my previous posts, you might see how I was, facing this kind of goodbye. I was worried, sad, and so many how-if popped up.

But God humbles me every time. I learned a lot to let go and let God takes over. And I've heard testimonies from those whom He led home : God provides. And how they flourish! Like beautiful flowers, replanted on lusher ground, they experienced God more than ever! Where He leads, He provides. Always.

I guess our best season of life is our PRESENT season. Because that's where He wants us to be right now. 

Ok back to Lea. (Hello Le! Hahahaha).

God reminded me of a simple question from.. well, i don't even remember who.

But he/she asked this, "Why are you named Lea, if Rachel is the beautiful one?"

A little Sunday School story. It's on Genesis 29 btw.

It's about this guy Jacob, Isaac youngest son. After God-given dream of angels on stairs and God's reminder of the Promise Land, so off Jacob began his God-inspired journey.

On the way, he met this girl, Rachel. I think it's love at first sight hahaha.

I mean, Jacob then willing to work 7 years for Rachel's father just to get her as his bride. Isn't that WOW. It's stated :

20 So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel. But it only seemed like a few days, he loved her so much.

But after the 7th year, Jacob was cheated by his in law because he got Lea (Rachel's older sister) instead of the lovely Rachel!

He then worked another 7 years to get Rachel. Ok lah after 14 yrs, Jacob get Rachel.
Happy ending!

Or so I thought.

Because God brought me here :

31-32 When God realized that Leah was unloved, he opened her womb. But Rachel was barren. Leah became pregnant and had a son. She named him Reuben (Look-It’s-a-Boy!). “This is a sign,” she said, “that God has seen my misery; and a sign that now my husband will love me.”

33-35 She became pregnant again and had another son. “God heard,” she said, “that I was unloved and so he gave me this son also.” She named this one Simeon (God-Heard). She became pregnant yet again—another son. She said, “Now maybe my husband will connect with me—I’ve given him three sons!” That’s why she named him Levi (Connect). She became pregnant a final time and had a fourth son. She said, “This time I’ll praise God.” So she named him Judah (Praise-God). Then she stopped having children.

As a woman myself (hahahhaha ok this is getting too serious I gotta laugh a little here), I can relate to Leah.

"I want to be like Leah one day," said NO-WOMAN EVER!

She was the unwanted wife. She got married because of her father said-so.

The feeling of not being wanted by someone who's supposed to want you the most must be.. Well. Overwhelming, at least. To wake up everyday knowing that you are A MISTAKE...

Even God realized that she is unloved :'( And I'm grateful that God is a loving Father. So loving that He opened Leah's womb.

"Well, I might not as lovely as Rachel. But at least, if I could give Jacob a son, he might love me..' I think that's what in Leah's mind.

After Reuben (look-it's-a-boy), came Simeon (God-heard), then came Levi (Connect). Leah kept hoping that each baby boy would bring Jacob closer to her heart. But Jacob couldn't be moved.

So the fourth, and the last boy came. She named her Judah (praise-God).

Why do you think Leah praising God? Is it because her prayer was answered?

I don't think so. Leah praised God because finally she got it.. Her reason for thanksgiving never lies in the love of his husband. This love won't ever define her. This love won't ever satisfy her hunger.

But through the process of Leah's heartache and heartbreaks, God shows her that THE ONLY LOVE SHE NEEDS IS GOD'S LOVE. And when you have God, nothing else matter. You can always come to Him in thanksgiving, because God is your reason. 

Isn't God awesome?

It doesn't stop here. God brought me deeper.

FLIP TO MATTHEW 1!

No, it's not 'another family tree' I promise.

1 The family tree of Jesus Christ, David’s son, Abraham’s son:

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Abraham had Isaac,
Isaac had Jacob,

Jacob had Judah and his brothers,

Judah had Perez and Zerah (the mother was Tamar),

Perez had Hezron,

Hezron had Aram,

Aram had Amminadab,

Amminadab had Nahshon,

Nahshon had Salmon,

Salmon had Boaz (his mother was Rahab),

Boaz had Obed (Ruth was the mother),

Obed had Jesse,

Jesse had David,

    and David became king.

Do you know that God's time, His kairos, is not a linear one?

He is in the now, in the future, and in the past as well.

I AM IN AWE OF HIS BLUEPRINT!

WHAT HE PLANNED WILL BE COMPLETED!!

Yep! That's my sovereign Daddy God right there!! *proud little girl beams*

You got me, right?

Leah might not be loved by Jacob.

But THROUGH HER, comes the lineage of Jesus Christ, the messiah.

Leah might be second best in the eyes of Jacob (and us?), but you gotta see from the lenses of God's instead of your own!

When God created you, while you're still in the womb of your mother, He has seen beyond your past and future to your grandkids and grandparents and believe me, your life is one beautiful blueprint of God's love and purpose!

Just like Leah, you may get tired in the waiting, you may doubt, you may second-guest God, but in the end, God always comes through.

When God made me rest today, He wanted to talk to me.

He wanted to realign my thought and mostly my heart, to wait on His promises which He has planted in my heart.

And just like Leah, I have questioned, I have challenged, and when my limited human eyes couldn't see, I blamed. Lol.

But instead of condemning me, He lavished me with His love and so here I am, with a renewed strength (well, in spirit. Still working on the flu lol).

When God made us rest. He wanted to talked to us and assured us that He's working on the long-term glory. Not only our here-and-now glory, but the kind of glory that resonates to eternity.