Tues.’s Devo - Finding a Wife for Isaac -

Read: Genesis 23:1-24:51; Matthew 8:1-17; Psalm 9:13-20; Proverbs 3:1-6 Sarah died when she was 127 years old and Abraham wanted to bury her in Canaan. He went to the Hittites who owned the land and asked to buy a piece of land in Machpelah to use as their burying ground. They agreed that Abraham pay Ephron 400 pieces of silver for the land. Machpelah was near Mamre also called Hebron. This land became a city of refuge years later. Abraham was very old and wanted to find a wife for Isaac so he called in his servant and told him to go to his home land and bring back one of his own relatives to marry Isaac. He asked if he should take Isaac there if no woman was willing to come back with him and Abraham said no, God would send his angel ahead of him and find a wife. If she was unwilling to come back then he was free from this oath. The servant went to the town where Abraham’s brother Nahor had settled in and sat by the well waiting for the women to come to draw water. He asked God to give him success that day and looked up and saw Rebekah. She was beautiful and a virgin. He asked her to draw water and she drew water for him and his camels. This was the sign the servant was looking for so he gave her bracelets and a nose ring.Then he asked her who’s daughter she was and if her father had room to board him for the night. She told him she was the daughter of Bethuel whose parents were Nahor and Milcah. She told them they had plenty of room for them. The servant worshiped the Lord for making his mission successful. Rebekah ran home and showed her brother, Laban her bracelets. He went to meet the servant and brought him home with him. The servant told Laban and Bethuel his story of why he was there and how the Lord had led him to Rebekah. He then asked them for an answer. They could not deny that it was the Lord who brought him to them. What a great example of being led by the Spirit. In Matthew, Jesus healed a Jewish man of leprosy. This was something that had never happened before. He told the man to go to the priests and show them as a public testimony. Jesus then returned to Capernaum where he met a Roman officer who had a servant who was in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain. Jesus was going to go to his house when the Roman officer told him he didn’t need to do that. All he had to do was to use his authority and say it and he would be healed. Jesus was amazed that this man understood the power of authority and how it worked in the natural and in the spiritual. Jesus commented that he had not found this kind of faith among the children of Israel but the Gentils would come from all over the world and find the Kingdom. Jesus then turned and told the officer to return home because his servant had been healed. When he returned he found that he had been healed at the exact time Jesus had proclaimed it. That evening, many demon possessed were healed with a simple command. When we realize the authority God has given us over demons and sickness, we will be dangerous to Satan’s kingdom. Lord, may we grow in our faith and expand our spiritual view to see the power you have given your body and may we use it to restore your kingdom to earth.