Sun.’s Devo - We are Eternal

Read: Genesis 30:1-31:16; Matthew 10:1-25; Psalm 12:1-8; Proverbs 3:13-15
Rachel did what we often do. She looked for someone to blame and lashed out at Jacob. He pointed out that the real one she was mad at was God which is usually who we are mad out when things are beyond our control. So Rachel decided maybe she could control things and gave Jacob her handmaiden, Bilhah. She did exactly what her mother-in-law had done and Jacob did exactly what Abraham had done one this time it seemed to have been the plan. Bilhah had Dan and Naphtali. Leah realized she was no longer baring so she gave Jacob her servant, Zilpah. Zilpah had Gad and Asher. These children were all named after the emotions of Leah and Rachel.
God opened Leah’s womb again and she had Issachar and Zebulun. Finally, God opened Rachel’s womb and she had Joseph. His name means “may he add” because Rachel prayed that God would add more sons to her. God did but not before he got them out of that place to their new land because Benjamin could not be born there. Benjamin was the picture of the church.
How ironic that we would read the list of Jesus disciples on the day when we read about Israel’s twelve tribes. Jesus had his twelve also. They were being sent out to do the things they had seen their master, Jesus do. He warned them that they would be treated the same way he was. Some would willingly welcome them into their homes and take care of them and some would cast them out as false teachers and have them flogged. It is no different with us. We will be loved by those who are hungry and thirsty for truth and persecuted by those who think they have the truth. We are not to be afraid because the Holy Spirit is with us and will tell us what to say. Our lives is not what is important because we are eternal. We don’t run out of lives like a video game. We finish our race on earth and go to heaven to continue it on a new level. So… it is kind of like a video game after all, only, we just can’t die!
Lord, may we be like silver refined in your fire.