A Lesson from Rachel

I was reading the other day in Genesis about Jacob and Rachel and something caught my eye that I hadn't really paid attention to before. If you read chapter 31:22-35, you'll find how Rachel stole her father's gods and then lied to him and said she couldn't get up because it was her "time of the month" (as the gods were tucked below where she was sitting). Of course her father wouldn't ask for her to get up, let alone touch anything she had been touching because she was considered unclean at that time.

For some reason, Rachel believed that these idols would accomplish something for her and her family. She must have believed this if she stole them and then lied about them. It wasn't enough for her to rest upon the true God, the Lord Who was the God of her husband, Jacob. She felt that she needed to bring something else along with her "just in case".

It's easy to want to judge Rachel and think of her actions as foolish, but we must first examine ourselves before we scrutinize her. What rope do you cling to that has no power? What is your "just in case"? A friend that could turn against you at any moment? A retirement fund that could go down the drain with one downturn of the market? A paycheck that could end tomorrow? I realize that too often I put my trust in things so weak, so powerless. The only strong rope we need to cling to is God. He is sturdy, He won't let go.

Unfortunately Rachel felt she needed more security and found it in things that weren't secure at all. How often do I do the same? How often do you? When our "I AM" is always near? He is, He was and He always will be.....do we need anything more than that?