Devotion

Read Genesis 29:1-30

Have you ever been so devoted and in love with someone that you would do anything for him/her? Well, whether you have or have not, Jacob sure knew a thing or two about being entirely captivated by a woman. Just look at his interactions with Rachel, his future wife. He meets her, and after just a month of interacting with Rachel, he agrees to work for Laban—Rachel’s father—for SEVEN YEARS in order to marry Rachel. Before we get blown away by Jacob’s mind-blowing decision to work for seven years in order to marry a woman he probably barely knew (okay, they knew each other for a month), let me draw your attention to Jacob’s devotion. Just by being willing to work for seven years in order to marry Rachel, Jacob reveals his deep desire to have her as his wife. And when Laban tricks Jacob into marrying Leah, Jacob agrees to work SEVEN MORE YEARS in order to marry Rachel too. Just think about that for a minute. What intense devotion and commitment to Rachel this must have taken.

And then when you stop and think, God loves us with the same—no, even deeper—devotion than Jacob could ever hope for. If our God is so devoted to us…what can we do but devote ourselves BACK to Him? And yet, often we do not devote our lives, just as Jacob did for Rachel, completely for God despite his complete devotion to us.
So how is God asking you to devote your life to Him? What does he want you to sacrifice for Him? How is He revealing to you the joy that comes with devoting yourself completely to Him? Is God convicting you of areas of your life that you are still holding onto, refusing to give to Him? Ask yourself these questions. I also encourage you to talk to your close friends, discipleship group, or accountability partner about what parts of your life God is asking you to devote to Him. How can you be more devoted to God today