The Right Kind of Girl

“May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”—Genesis 24:14

The Torah portion for this week, Chayei Sarah, is from Genesis 23:1—25:18 and 1 Kings 1:1–31.

Abraham’s servant was sent on a very important mission. He had sworn to his master that he would find a suitable marriage partner for Isaac. What a daunting task! Where would he find the right woman? How would he know whether she was the right one? The very future of Abraham’s descendants depended upon the servant’s success!

So Abraham’s servant came up with a plan. He would go to a well in the place where Abraham’s relatives lived and the woman who offered him and his camels water would be the one for Isaac. She would have proven that she is kind and appropriate for Abraham’s home.

The Sages wonder why the servant’s test required that the worthy girl offer water to both he and his animals. What if Rebekah had only offered water to the servant, but not his camels? Would that make her a bad choice?

I once heard the following story from a psychiatrist. Early in his career, the psychiatrist used to take medical students around the psychiatric ward where he showed them classic textbook examples of psychoses in real life. One such example was a man who had been there for 52 years and who had never spoken in all that time. When he wasn’t eating or sleeping, he would stand in the corner of a room in an awkward position with his hands directed upward. No one had ever succeeded in getting the man to sit down.

One day, a student asked if he could take a shot at it. The student walked over to the patient, assumed the same contorted position and said, “I’ll stand here like this. You can go rest.” And for the first time in 52 years, the patient sat down! How did the young student do it? Everyone else had tried to help the man by thinking about what their needs would be. But the student was the first to think about what the patient’s needs might be. From that vantage point he discerned that the patient believed he was holding up the world and could only sit down if someone would hold it for him.

Abraham’s servant wasn’t looking for just any nice girl. He was looking for someone with an extraordinarily kind disposition. Many girls would relate to the servant’s need to drink. But it would be rare to find a girl who could put herself in his shoes and recognize his need for the animals to drink as well.

Take a lesson from Rebekah. When considering others’ needs, see the world from their perspective. Then you, too, will be worthy of being part of Abraham’s family.

http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/the-right-kind-of-girl

Praying for Others

“Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelek, his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again.”—Genesis 20:17

The Torah portion for this week, Vayeira, is from Genesis 18:1—22:24 and 2 Kings 4:1–37.

The Sages explain that the story of Isaac’s birth immediately follows Abraham’s prayer for Abimelek in order to teach us that when someone prays for another person, he himself is rewarded with that request. In this case, King Abimelek, his wife, and their female slaves were unable to have children. Abraham prayed for them and they were able to conceive. The next thing we hear about is the miracle of Isaac’s birth. By praying for others, Abraham had his deepest prayer answered, too.

A student once approached his rabbi with a question about this system — one that we might all ask: Does this work even if a person prays for his friend only so that he himself will receive equal benefits? Abraham’s prayers were selfless and sincere. Does it work when the prayer serves a selfish agenda?

What would you answer?

The rabbi’s answer might surprise you! He answered, “Yes.” Then he explained it this way: God is the source of all blessings. But there needs to be a channel that is able to bring down God’s blessings into the world. One such channel is prayer. When we pray, we connect ourselves to God. When we pray for a friend, we become the channel that connects our friend to God. When God sends down the requested blessings, we are inevitably filled with the blessings, too.

Then the rabbi gave the following analogy to help understand this concept: Grass needs water, but in order to receive it, the water has to travel through a hose. Since the hose is the channel for the water to reach the grass, it can’t help but get wet itself. Similarly, when we ask for blessings on others, we are touched by the blessings as well.

What a powerful way to give and receive! We usually think of giving and receiving as two separate experiences: giving benefits others, while receiving is good for us. But here we learn that the two acts can become one. By praying for others who need what we need, we can give and receive at the same time! But don’t take my word for it. Try it out yourself!

http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/praying-for-others

Being Like God

“Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.”—Genesis 18:2

The Torah portion for this week, Vayeira, is from Genesis 18:1—22:24 and 2 Kings 4:1–37.

When the Torah portion begins, Abraham had just circumcised himself. God made a house call and visited the recovering Abraham. But did He find Abraham resting in bed? No! God found him sitting in the same place where he sat every day — at the entrance of his tent eagerly awaiting guests. “The LORD appeared to Abraham… while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent” (Genesis 18:1). For Abraham, the pain of circumcision was nothing compared to the pain of not having guests.

So God sent Abraham three guests — three angels disguised as men. In the next verse we read that Abraham saw the men and ran to greet them. “When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them . . . .” But wait, didn’t we just read that God appeared to Abraham? Did we not understand that Abraham was in the middle of a conversation with God?

If you could speak to one person in the world, living or dead, who would that person be? Now imagine that your hero calls you up one day and you get to have that conversation. Suddenly, you see three strangers standing in your front yard and you say, “Can you hold on? There are some guys hanging out nearby, I’ll get back to you later!”

Sounds ridiculous? But that’s exactly what Abraham did! He had the audience of the Master of the world, but as soon as he saw the strangers outside, he drops the line. Can you imagine doing such a thing – and why would Abraham do it?

Because Abraham understood that even as we talk to God, He continues to give us opportunities (and yes, challenges), to be ever closer to Him.

As we are told from the very beginning, humans were created “in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27). The intention for humanity is that we would be God-like. And so the greatest thing we can do is to be like our Creator.

How can we be like God? The Sages offer some advice: “Just as the Lord clothes the naked as He did with Adam, so you clothe the naked; just as the Lord visits the sick as He did with Abraham, so you visit the sick; just as the Lord comforts the bereaved as He did with Isaac, so you comfort the bereaved; just as the Lord buries the dead as he did with Moses, so you bury the dead.”

Look to fit in at least one godly act a week. Visit a sick friend, the elderly, or a hospital. Donate some clothing or work in a soup kitchen. Support someone going through a difficult time or be a companion for someone lonely. And when an unexpected opportunity for kindness comes your way, be like Abraham – run to do it!

http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/being-like-god

Final Exam

“God tested Abraham.” Genesis 22:1

In universities everywhere, mid-May brings late-night study sessions, caffeine-fueled writing binges, and ulcer-inducing stress as students are preparing for final exams—those critically important tests to determine how well the student has learned the lessons of the semester.

Let’s look at a familiar incident in the life of Abraham through that lens.

Genesis 22 begins by saying, “God tested Abraham.” In other words, it’s like Abraham’s big exam. And what is the test? God is about to test Abraham’s allegiance to the one true God in a most stressful way.

So let’s review: God called out Abraham to the city of Ur. Ur was an advanced culture and a highly sophisticated town, but it was rampant with idolatry. When God passed out this test to Abraham, Abraham was wandering through Canaan—yet another pagan, idolatrous region. And keep in mind that in pagan idolatry, the highest demonstration of loyalty to one’s god was to offer—you guessed it—your children as a sacrifice.

With that in mind, look back at Genesis 22:1. The text actually says that it is the God who tests Abraham. This is in contrast to those lifeless forms of wood and stone that were the idols of the pagan Canaanites. And it’s the one true God who comes to Abraham and gives him the following test.

Would the loyalty and allegiance of Abraham to the genuine Creator God match the misplaced loyalty and devotion of the surrounding nations to their false idols? The test is simple yet very demanding: “Abraham,” God says, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love . . . and sacrifice him.”

That’s the test, plain and simple. It’s a pass/fail exam with no room for grading on the curve. If Abraham obeys, demonstrating his allegiance, loyalty, and trust in the promises of God, he passes the test. If he refuses, he retains control over his son’s destiny, but fails to demonstrate his commitment to following God no matter what the cost.

Well, we know the rest of the story. In fact, it’s amplified and explained beautifully in the book of Hebrews where the writer explains that Abraham by faith obeyed, reckoning that even if Isaac died, God could raise him from the dead (Hebrews 11:17-19).

So what does Abraham’s test have to do with us? While God won’t ask you to literally sacrifice a child on an altar, He does often require the things in your life that are precious to you. Think about it. Isaac was God’s gift to Abraham. All of God’s promises were wrapped up in that miracle child. How easy it would have been for Abraham to love Isaac more than he loved God. Or to put it another way, to love the gift more than the Giver! The test may be the same for you. God always wants to know that nothing in your life is more important or more valuable than your relationship to Him. It may even be a sinful pattern that for some reason provides temporary kicks, comfort, or security. Do you love Him more than the sin in your life?

If by faith you can believe with Abraham that when God takes something from you, God will give something back in even better terms, then you will pass the test and give Him all He demands and all He desires. Whether it’s your money, your possessions, your career, your dreams, or even your children to His service—everything we give to Him is an opportunity to pass the test and in worship prove to Him that nothing in our lives is of greater value than His friendship and fellowship.

As you face the tests of this week, know that your Tester loves you deeply and is ready to help you pass, like Abraham, with flying colors!

YOUR JOURNEY…

• What tests are you currently facing? What can you learn from the example of Abraham to help you pass the test with flying colors?
• James 1:2-4 also addresses the issue of tests. Based on this passage, what is God testing and why?
• If you’re one of those people who has always dreaded taking exams, ask the Lord to change your perspective about His tests. Think through the reasons that He wants to test you, and trust Him to supply the courage and faith you need to pass the exam in a way that glorifies Him.

http://getmorestrength.org/daily/final-exam/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GetMoreStrength+%28Strength+For+The+Journey%29