Stand Up To Laban!

Genesis 24:54-59

54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank and stayed all night. Then they arose in the morning, and he said, "Send me away to my master."
55 But her brother and her mother said, "Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten; after that she may go."
56 And he said to them, "Do not hinder me, since the LORD has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master."
57 So they said, "We will call the young woman and ask her personally." 58 Then they called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?"
And she said, "I will go."
59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men.

Abraham is old and he knows that his days are numbered on the earth. He dispatches his servant to Padanaram to his brother Nahor's family to select a bride for Isaac the promised seed. In these days marriages were pre-arranged and they kept them within distant cousins or even half sisters. We would call it inbreeding; they called it preserving the seed.

But I noticed something else as I read this in my devotion this morning. Here we get the first picture of Rebecca's brother Laban. He becomes a major player in Israel's affairs later on when Isaac send Jacob to Padamraram to select his bride.

Notice if you read this passage as well as the passage from Genesis 28-32 you see Laban eventually masters the ability to delay, hinder, oppose, cheat, manipulate and confuse. Over and over he tried to cheat Jacob out of his wives, and did cheat him out of his cows, and sheep. But every time Laban would delay, hinder or oppose Jacob, God would bless him with far more than he lost.

I am convinced satan sends Labans into our lives to hinder us, oppose us, manipulate us and confuse us about the work God has called us to do. Sometimes it comes through family; other times it may come through people who we think lives us, but really doesn't want us to follow God's plan for our lives.

You must stand up to your Labans! Laban will never do anything but delay you, hinder you, oppose you, manipulate you and confuse you about what God has called you to do, and what God has promised you can have.

No matter how much a Laban makes you think they are the reason for any success you have, all success at anything comes from the blessing of God on your life.

All the promises of God are yes and Amen!

Stand up to your Laban and move forward in your walk with God! Refuse to allow Laban to delay your destiny.