“When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.” Genesis 29:31 (NKJV)
God sees our hurts and responds out of His love for us. Jacob had been forced into the marriage with Leah, but his heart wasn’t in the marriage. Leah was emotionally hurt and knew she was unloved. Remember her tender eyes – tender-hearted personality. There’s nothing so damaging to someone with a tender spirit as to recognize that they are not loved for who they are.
Each of Leah’s four sons bore names reflecting her desire to be loved: Reuben – God sees my affliction, Simeon – God has seen I am unloved, Levi – surely my husband will become attached to me, and Judah – now I will praise the Lord. Then she stopped having children.
Each child born was to Leah confirmation that God saw her and He loved her even if Jacob didn’t. However, for Leah that wasn’t enough to heal the hurt of feeling unloved by Jacob. How many times have I felt unloved or just tolerated for what I could do for someone else? How many times have I treated someone else like they were only valued for what they could do for me? Emotional hurts go much deeper than physical hurts. The scars remain much longer and affect relationships with others sometimes the rest of our lives.
Dear Lord, please forgive me for when I have treated You like a Santa Claus, Sugar Daddy, or other supplier of gifts. Forgive me for when I have mistreated others by not valuing them for who they are instead of what they can do for me. Help me to see others as You see them – Children of God, Worthy of being in the Family of God because You love them.
Listen to the Gaither Family as they sing “Family of God.”
Published on MyBibleRoom.com 1/14/24, 6:00 am