Years Seem Like Days

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

YEARS SEEM LIKE DAYS

Gen 29:14-30

After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, 15 Laban said to him, "Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be." 16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful. 18 Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, "I'll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel." 19 Laban said, "It's better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me." 20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her. 21 Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to lie with her." 22 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. 23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and Jacob lay with her. 24 And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter as her maidservant. 25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn't I? Why have you deceived me?" 26 Laban replied, "It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. 27 Finish this daughter's bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work." 28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 Laban gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant. 30 Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.

NIV

We could see that Jacob was deceived by Laban as payback for deceiving his brother and father out of the birthright. But that is not the truth we should focus on. Jacob had been there a month, not as a guest, but already working for Laban's benefit. They agreed on wages: seven years of labor, then he could take Rachel as his wife. Although when the time came, Leah was given, Laban's deception was complete. But the story is about those first seven years. Because he loved Rachel, those seven years seemed like only a few days. There are two aspects to consider. First, because of the great love we share within the bonds of marriage, fifty-plus years can feel like only a few days. Although we have so many memories, some seem like a lifetime ago, yet at the same time we cannot help but think it was just yesterday that we saw each other for the first time and knew we had to be together; and now it is today. What happened? Years seemed like days. The second way we can see the same way of looking at time is in our relationship with Jesus. It was just the other day in our younger life that we accepted him as our Lord and Savior. Now that younger life has become our older life as time has marched on, it only seems like a few days because of our love for him compared to the eternity we will spend with him. Love is at the center of our relationships with others and with our Lord. Without love, we are nothing but a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. Jacob loved Rachel. We love each other. We love Jesus. Time has no meaning in the kingdom of heaven. A day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day. That is how it is within the love of a husband and wife, and that is how it is within the love between Jesus and us.