Lovely Loved Leah

My name is Rachel, for those who don't know.. Rachel Nicole, to be exact. Nicole obviously being where "Nikki" comes from. Therefore, I'm always drawn to the story in Genesis 29 where Jacob meets, falls crazy in love with (you'd have to be crazy to work 14 years just to marry someone), and marries Rachel.

Since my name's in there and I think it's a beautiful love story, I've always tended to focus my attention on Jacob and Rachel... Leah gets the back burner in my thoughts. However, verses 31-35 recently caused me to completely pause and focus on this woman and her relationship with God. Brief summary: God sees that Leah is unloved by Jacob, so He blesses her and she has 3 sons. With each son, she hopes or thinks something different.

#1. Reuben- Leah thinks this will cause Jacob to love her. She recognizes that God sees her afflictions.
#2. Simeon- Recognizes that God sees and hears of her situation of feeling unloved, and has responded by giving her another son.
#3. Levi- Leah thinks, "Surely to goodness Jacob will become attached to me because I've now born him 3 sons." (He's still crazy about Rachel)

Then, in verse 35, "And she conceived again and bore a son and said, "THIS TIME I WILL PRAISE THE LORD." Therefore she named him Judah . Then she stopped bearing."

3 Thoughts from this verse:

1. Finally Leah stops looking for her worth, her beauty, her love and affections to be found in a man and praises the Lord for the blessings He has given her. She turns her eyes from the world and fixes them on Heaven.. and she is blessed.

2. Once she finds her fulfillment in God, she stops having children. She has been blessed by their love and His love for her.

3. Her 4th son, the one in whom she praises the Lord for completely, this child becomes the ancestor of King David... and ultimately of Christ. Leah, the one with "weak eyes", unloved by her husband, and virtually further unmentioned in the Bible, is in the blood line of Christ. Not Rachel. Not the one who was cherished and prized by the world's standards. Rather it was the one who ultimately chose to praise God for the gifts that He gave her-who sought after Him- who was able to stand in the lineage of our Savior.

What does this say to me: Christ is more than enough. I have been blessed with more than enough. Once again I am struck anew with the understanding that this world holds nothing for me. Regardless of whether I never have money, never get married, never feel beautiful or loved by a man, I find that I have more worth, more beauty, more honor, am more adored, more blessed, and more cherished by my God than I will ever even be able to come close to comprehending. Christ is more than enough. And I am amazed and overwhelmed in who God chooses to bring about His plan of salvation. What a messed up, undesirable, rag-tag lot Christ comes from!! And yet each person, each player, each thread when woven together creates the most beautiful and amazing tapestry of grace, mercy, and love ever created. What a wonderful, and unworthy, feeling it is to know that God can use me- use us- in our weakest, most frail, and undesireable states to be incredible instruments for His Kingdom. May I always be able to say, "this time I will praise the Lord". Christ is more than enough.