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Unsurrendered Love Lives ...
...... so important to him that he schemed and connived, deceiving even those closest to him, just so he could have them as his own. (Genesis 25:29-34; 27:1-40).
He got what he wanted. He would be the one to inherit the promises, given to Abraham and Isaac, in Genesis 22:15-18. But, it was going to be accomplished according to God's plan, not his. And what was God's plan for Jacob' It was for him to have Leah. The only problem was, Jacob wanted Rachel. Still, it was going to be Leah who would bear him a son who would one day head the Levitical priesthood. And it would be Leah who would bring forth Judah, a son who would head the tribe of Judah, the tribe from which the promised Messiah would come (Genesis 35:23).
Jacob got what he wanted however, he did receive Rachel as his wife but it cost him. He paid a high price for her, because from this day forward there would no longer be any peace in his home. There was always to be a constant bickering between his wives, each vying for his attention, both envious of the other. When Jacob was given Leah as his bride, he'd felt as if he'd been deceived, when in reality it was only God's way of keeping His promise to him.
Jacob was fascinated by Rachel. The Bible says she was 'lovely in form and beautiful.' Leah was 'tender-eyed and had delicate features.' It was God's perfect will for Jacob to have Leah. But, his desire was for Rachel--she appealed to his flesh.
What about you' Have you surrendered your love life to the Lord' Are you allowing Him to have His say concerning whom you date, or whom you marry'
Maybe you're like Solomon. God may have already given you a definite 'no' concerning a relationship, yet you've chosen to ignore His voice; willing, instead, to suffer the consequences. Learn from Solomon and always remember, when you play tug-of-war with the Lord, you'll always come out the loser.
Or, perhaps you're like David once was. Ninety-nine percent sold out to the Lord. yet still clinging to that one percent; refusing to acknowledge His Lordship in this area. We need to always remember that God wants our all, or nothing at all. (Revelation 3:15-16), and learn from David's experience.
Or, maybe you're like Samson; so caught up in a present love affair that your relationship with the Lord has suffered to the point where it is almost non-existent. We need to always remember Samson and never let anything, or anyone, interfere with our walk with the Lord.
Feeding The BeastRevelation 13:1-13:9 Feading the Beast,If any man have an ear, let him hear. Rev 13:1-9 Is the world, feeding the beast, makeing him ..... Or, could it be that you're like Jacob was, right in the middle of the will of God and yet too blind to see it' Your eyes constantly drawn to only those 'lovely in form' while God may be trying to say to you, 'Look, with me on the heart, that's what is really important; the hidden person of the heart.' (I Samuel 16:7, I Peter 3:3-6). We need to learn from Jacob and seek to discover God's perfect will for our lives, instead of demanding His permissive will.
Bear in mind that all of these men were spiritually strong and growing in the Lord. They all had a close relationship with Him. They all loved Him, wholeheartedly. Yet, they were all unsuccessful in relinquishing their love lives to Him. Notice, also, that both David and Solomon were married men. So, even those who are married must, still, guard against having unsurrendered love.
I pray that we can learn from the mistakes these men made and I thank God that we have a forgiving Father, full of mercy and grace: One that will give us a second chance when we fall, if only we promise to once again 'set apart Christ" as Lord in our hearts. (I Peter 3:15).
' by Dot McGinnis
http://our.homewithgod.com/heavenlyinspirations/
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