God Listens

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

GOD LISTENS

Gen 30:22-24

22 Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb. 23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, "God has taken away my disgrace." 24 She named him Joseph, and said, "May the LORD add to me another son."

NIV

There is a lot that goes on within this family. First, Rachel must have been praying about her being barren because we are told that he listened to her and opened her womb. We will get to the part of the agreement between Jacob and Laben about the speckled, spotted, and dark-colored sheep and goats. But our story is the fact that God remembered Rachel and listened to her. We believe that God never forgot Rachel, but it is a phrase to let us know that God was attentive to her prayer. He heard her prayer about being barren and listened intently to her, and in some sense responded to her prayer and opened her womb. We could believe this was God’s plan all along because it would be Joseph who would save his whole family bringing them to Egypt, but then there was the four-hundred years of bondage. How far out do we place the providence of God, in relationship to him simply answering a prayer of a woman who wants to have a baby of her own? If we take the route that God knows everything that will ever happen in the lives of every person that has, now, and will live, then we are but actors or puppets in the hand of the puppeteer, however, we say that we are clay in the potter’s hand. That would mean we have no say about anything. We cannot take that route as we know from the beginning, that Adam and Eve had the choice, it is just that God had to know what choice they would make and allowed them that freedom. So then, we are back to God hearing her prayer and answering her with a “Yes,” and she gave birth to Joseph. Here is where we know that God is always remembering us, and listens to our prayers. What we don’t know is how long Rachel kept praying about her need, but we know God listened. God always listens to our prayers, or better yet is always ready to have a conversation with us. It is far better for us to listen to what God says to us than what we have to say to him. On the other hand, we also know that we do not have to go on babbling with many spiritual words for God listens to us and responds to our request. It could be as simple as, “Lord, help me”, or maybe a few more words about what help we need; however, he already knows the help we need but wants us to recognize He is our help. However we ask, whatever way we ask Him, of course, for us it will be in the name of Jesus, how many or few words we use, God listens.