YOUR DEFENDER

Genesis 31:24 KJV
And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

Dear Believer,

Remember Jacob, the guy who ‘stole’ his brother’s blessings and ran away from home? He got himself into problems bigger than he could solve. He was a smart guy, but he met his match in a man named Laban, who incidentally was his uncle.

After serving Laban for fourteen years as bride price for his two daughters, Laban refused to let him go. God’s blessing was on Jacob and Laban wanted to milk it all for his own benefit. Laban kept cheating Jacob until Jacob decided to run away again.

So, one day, Jacob took everything he had gathered in his slave-labor, with his wives and children, and ran away. When Laban got to know, he was infuriated. He had an entitlement mentality that made him believe he was the owner of everything Jacob had worked for. So, he decided to pursue Jacob, take everything from him and kill him.

Listen, friend. God has a sense of humor. He knows how to get his people’s enemies to waste their wicked efforts.

Laban pursued Jacob for seven days, and God kept looking without saying a thing. On the night of the seventh day, God came to Laban in his dream and gave him a stern warning.

“Do you love yourself? That’s good! Then don’t touch Jacob. Don’t even say anything good or bad to him. Or else!”

All Laban’s schemes and threats evaporated into thin air. When he caught up with Jacob, he couldn’t do anything to him. God was breathing down his neck and he was totally helpless, though his hands itched for revenge.

Jacob wasn’t known to be a fighter. In his youth he was a smart coward who would rather run than fight. But the God of His grandfather Abraham was his defence.

Here’s what Laban said to him after he caught up with him.

Genesis 31:29 KJV
It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

That’s the way it is with you when you put all your trust in Him. Some people who have the power to hurt you will become impotent when it comes to your matter. God’s angels won’t just let them carry out their evil plans against you.

And Jacob also knew who His Defender was.

Genesis 31:42 VW
Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, and rebuked you last night.

God is here called ‘The fear of Isaac.’ This means the terror that stood by Isaac, or ‘The One Who made people fear Issac.’

Jacob had absolute faith in the God of his fathers as his Protector. Laban would have easily cut short Jacob’s life or kept him in permanent slavery, but God the Defender stepped in.

Dear friend, to live in this world and flourish, you must commit yourself to divine protection. This is an act of committal, a decision to put all your trust in God. When people scheme to hurt you, He knows how to tap them on the shoulder in the night and warn them to desist, or else.

You can then say with David:

Psalm 27:2 KJV
When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

Talk to God about this; it can be the beginning of another beautiful phase of your life.

Have a blessed week.

Your friend,
Deon.

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