Will you go?
So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?”
“I will go,” she said. (Genesis 24:58, NIV)
Oh, the sweet Disney-esque love story of Isaac and Rebekah. It is one of my favorites for a few reasons, the biggest one being that it feels reminiscent of my own love story in its overwhelming theme of "meant to be." Mesh this with a woman stepping into the unknown with powerful faith, and you have a beautiful tale. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's remind ourselves of how Isaac and Rebekah came to be one.
Isaac was the long-awaited son of Abraham and Sarah - a miracle given to them in their old age. You might also recall that God used Isaac to test Abraham by instructing him to bring his only son whom he loved greatly to a mountain to be sacrificed. Abraham complied and God rewarded his loyalty by commending his unyielding faith and sending a ram to be sacrificed instead.
But let's skip ahead a bit. Abraham's beloved Sarah has died, causing great mourning in their household. Abraham instructs one of his senior servants to go find Isaac a wife from his own relatives, not the Canaanites among whom they lived. The servant immediately set off with ten camels full of "good things from his master." One evening, the servant stopped at a well. It was typical for women to draw water at this time of day, and the servant prayed to the Lord that the woman who allowed him a drink would be Isaac's chosen bride. Before he had finished praying, beautiful Rebekah arrived. When the servant asked for a drink, Rebekah quickly lowered her jar for him, even offering to water his camels. Rejoicing, the servant adorns Rebekah with expensive jewelry and returns with her to her father's house.
Rebekah is the granddaughter of Abraham's brother, Nahor, thus fulfilling the requirement of coming from one of Abraham's relatives. Rebekah then demonstrates her humble kindness by performing such a lowly service as giving water to a servant and his camels, not unlike Jesus washing the disciples' feet in the New Testament. The servant is so pleased with the girl that he lavishes gifts upon Rebekah and her family and asks to take her home to become the wife of his master's son. Upon hearing of how perfectly Rebekah would satisfy Abraham's wishes as well as the servant's prayer at the well, her father and brother say, "This is from the Lord; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master's son, as the Lord has directed" (Genesis 24:50-51, NIV).
Here is my favorite part of the story. Rebekah's mother is a little taken aback at how quickly this has all come to pass and asks the servant if Rebekah might stay with her family another ten days or so. When the servant makes known his desire to return home quickly, they suggest asking Rebekah herself, something I feel was likely not the norm back then. And Rebekah's answer? "I will go." If there was any hesitance, we are not made aware of it. Instead, Rebekah chooses to act in faith, leaving her loving family for the unknown. I can only imagine what must have been going through Rebekah's mind on her journey to her new husband. Maybe she wondered if she had made a mistake. What if he didn't like her? What if she didn't like him? What if she had just signed herself up to a life of misery? I know these are the things that would have been going through my mind. When she finally meets Isaac however, we are told he immediately rejoices over her and marries her. And they experienced a great love for many years.
It's amazing what can happen when God has a hand in things, or more importantly, when we let go and follow God's good plan in good faith. When I think about how I met my own husband, I am reminded of Isaac and Rebekah. No, my story doesn't involve watering camels or being adorned with an expensive nose ring, but I do feel strongly that God brought us together. We met as college freshmen at Auburn University, but as we got to know each other, we felt we were always meant to meet. One day after we'd been dating for a few months, I noticed my future husband wearing a Vanderbilt shirt that I also owned. I had received it upon touring the university when trying to make my college choice. As it turns out, this is also how Stephen had received the shirt; in fact, as we talked about our tours, we realized we had actually been there at the same time. What a crazy coincidence!
If that's not enough, my husband grew up in Jackson, MS. I had never visited the city, but had strongly considered going to Mississippi College which was located just south of the city. When I heard that his best friend was currently going to the exact school I had considered, I was speechless. I am convinced that regardless of the choice either of us would have made in schools, God would have found a way to bring us together. As it is, I think we both took the easier (and maybe shorter) route by being in the same place at the same time. When God led him to knock on my dorm room door one day, I don't think either of us realized it was the start of something truly beautiful, as was the meeting of Isaac and Rebekah. When Isaac sees Rebekah for the first time, he immediately falls in love and takes her to be married. No hesitation, just a strong act of faith to parallel her own.
"I will go," is such a simple statement, but can be a part of a much more complex decision. It's a decision that some weren't able to make and even avoided (looking at you, Noah), or one that a person really wants to make, but has that one thing holding them back (such as the rich man who wanted to follow Jesus but couldn't give up his possessions). God has been asking me for some time now if I will go, and it has taken me a while to agree. He has been calling me to share my testimony through writing for years, but I've always had an excuse not to. My most common excuse has been that I don’t feel equipped, either as a writer or as a teacher of the Bible. Last Christmas when I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me once again to start writing, I made the same excuse, "I'm just not equipped to do it." And you know what the response was? "Go get equipped." Simple as that. You've probably heard the phrase that says "God doesn't call the qualified; He qualifies those He calls." That's exactly what I was being told. So here I am! Stumbling my way down an unknown path as a new writer, learning how to write a book proposal and communicate with publishers. It's been difficult but also so rewarding, something I wish I would have started ages ago.
So what is God asking of you today, friend? To embark on a new career? Say hi to that coworker you know doesn't have many friends? Volunteer at church? Whatever it is, let God lead the way. Make your decision prayerfully, and give yourself the quiet space to listen to what God wants you to do. Keep reading his Word, as you'll find many of your problems already solved within those thin pages. And if I can ever be a sounding board for you, please use me! I would count myself fortunate to be able to lift you up in prayer any time.
Thank you for reading. Have a blessed day!
