Reading Plan: Genesis 24

I’ve always told my kids that people are watching you, and your actions will always speak louder than your words. I believe this is a universal truth that doesn’t always hold the weight that it should. Whether we like it or not, our character and reputation are being shaped every day by our choice of words, our responses, and our actions. Through the life of a girl named Rebekah, we see the reward in striving to do our very best at all times. When an opportunity was in front of her, she responded with genuine kindness - not knowing that her actions were being watched to determine her future.

In Genesis 24, we watch an incredible scene play out between Abraham’s servant and Rebekah. In search of a wife for Isaac, this servant prays a bold prayer to God that any woman who offers him a drink from the well AND offers to water his camels would indeed be THE ONE! I can only imagine the excitement the servant must have felt when Rebekah shows up offering to fulfill both of these needs. Notice his response in verse 21, “Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful.” Imagine what he saw. This woman never stopped working, but continually served him no matter the exhaustion that came with such a task. Nothing motivated her other than a kind and loving spirit to help someone else. Genuine love and kindness in a person shine brighter than anything we can imagine. Knowing that camels drink an insane amount of water and that there were 10 of them lets us know that this scene lasted a few hours. Then in verse 22, it states, “When the camels had FINISHED drinking...” is when he proceeds to approach Rebekah, showering her with gifts, and stating his true intentions with the offer of becoming Isaac’s wife.

Rebekah wasn’t basing her actions and efforts on something she hoped to gain. She was simply working to the best of her ability at the opportunity placed right before her. Can we say the same thing is true of us? Do we work tirelessly, with much effort, to share love and kindness to those in our paths on a daily basis? Rebekah leaves all of us with a challenge to be the best version of ourselves that we can possibly be! Remember Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us we are surrounded by lots of witnesses and because of this we should work hard to throw off anything that stands in our way of persevering in the race of life! The key is to continue to fix our eyes on Jesus and work for an audience of One!

Examine your work ethic. If you are honest with yourself, do you give it all you have as if you are working for God alone? If not, what are some practical ways you can change your perspective and habits?

What motivates you more than anything else? How can you use this to change your view on being the best version of yourself you could possibly be?