City Life Starter

The Word

³¹ When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. ³² So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, “The Lord has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.” ³³ Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon. ³⁴ She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi. ³⁵ And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing.

Genesis 29:31-15

Reflection

Leah was the older daughter of Laban with no viable suitors. Her sister Rachel was prettier and more loved by everyone. It was so bad that, in order to marry off the oldest daughter first, Laban had to trick Jacob to marry and sleep with Leah first. Through this, Laban was able to marry his oldest daughter through trickery, Jacob was tricked into 14 years of labor, and in the middle of all this, Leah was unwanted and unloved. She was desperate for affection and attention, but no one gave this to her. Not her earthly father and not her husband. And probably not from her sister either.

God heard Leah’s plea and what she wanted and hoped for. Like any woman during these times, conceiving many sons was a blessing to protect the family line. A woman’s worth was found in the sons she bore and Leah wanted Jacob to see her as someone of worth, someone to be loved.

She conceived her first son Reuben, hoping that Jacob would see and love her.

She conceived Simeon, hoping that this time she would finally become loved.

She conceived Levi and firmly believed that Jacob would see her worthy of love.

It wasn’t until she conceived Judah that something changed. Instead of trying to seek and find belonging within Jacob’s love, she turned her praise to God. “Now,” she says, “I will praise the Lord!”

Leah’s self-worth for years was bound in trying to find meaning and love in her husband. But Jacob never chose her and he probably looked at her with resentment as a reason for the seven additional years he had to serve Laban.

God did choose Leah and loved her. She didn’t realize that God was all that mattered, that God should be praised and in God we will always feel belonged and wanted. But with her fourth child Judah everything changed. She knew that more sons would not convince Jacob, and when she stopped trying, she turned her gaze to heaven and praised God. Yes, in the loving arms of her Father did she belong. “Now I will praise the Lord.”

It shouldn’t be a surprise that Jesus’ lineage traces back to Judah.

Application

Are you trying to find belonging in a group or a person? Are you trying to find love in someone that may never give it to you? Will you struggle to gain their affection or will you turn your gaze unto God and praise him?

In God is our self-worth. He will never stop loving you and remember this, He chose you!

Prayer

Thank you Father in heaven for choosing me. Thank you for making be feel loved and that I belong in your love and your Kingdom. You have a house waiting for me in heaven! How amazing is that! I pray that i won’t find my self-worth in anything that this world tries to offer me. Let me always turn my gaze upwards. In You I belong. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.