Being in the way ∙

Being in the way ∙

Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who has not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master’s brethren. – Genesis 24:27 – KJV

Genesis 24:4- 27

 4 [Abraham said] go to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac

 7 For the LORD, the God of heaven . . . will send his angel ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a wife there for my son.

 12 “O LORD, God of my master, Abraham,” he prayed. “Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham.

 14 This is my request. I will ask one of them, ‘Please give me a drink from your jug.’ If she says, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’ – let her be the one you have selected as Isaac’s wife. This is how I will know that you have shown unfailing love to my master.”

 15 Before he had finished praying, he saw a young woman named Rebekah coming out . . .

 17 Running over to her, the servant said, “Please give me a little drink of water from your jug.”

 18 “Yes, my lord,” she answered, “have a drink.” And she quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and gave him a drink.

 19 When she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough to drink.”

 26 The man bowed low and worshiped the LORD.

 27 “Praise the LORD, the God of my master, Abraham,” he said. “The LORD has shown unfailing love and faithfulness to my master, for he has led me straight to my master’s relatives.”

Life used to be somewhat simple. It became far more complicated in the latter part of the 20th century. And now, in our future-shocked 21st-century world, it has become almost impossibly complicated.

Getting Things Done, or GTD is a system for getting organized and being more productive. The GTD method simplifies organizing to-dos, priorities, and schedules. They become manageable. GTD makes it easy to see what you have on your plate and choose what to work on next. It emphasizes getting your to-dos out of your head and into a workable format you can refer to. This clears your mind of any mental distractions that keep you from working efficiently (https://lifehacker.com).

The goal is to spend less time doing the necessary things to have more time for the things you want to do. It focuses on capturing the work you need to do, organizing it, and choosing what needs your attention.

GTD provides five steps for getting and staying organized:

• Your to-dos, your ideas, your recurring tasks, everything. Put them in a pen-and-paper notebook, a to-do app, or a planner. Capture everything as soon as it occurs to you so that you don’t have to think about it again until it’s time to do it.
• Don’t just write down a vague objective “Plan meals.” Instead, break things down into actionable steps so there’s no barrier to doing the task. 

• Assign due dates and set reminders. Pay special attention to each item’s priority and make sure they’re in the right buckets for later.

• Look over your to-dos to see what your following action should be.  Review periodically, monitor progress, and adjust your priorities as needed.

• Choose your next action and get to it. Your to-dos are organized by priority, placed in categories, and broken into manageable, bite-sized chunks. Work the plan. (https://youtu.be/Xduzwk04l2E)

How did the Father’s servants in the Scriptures get things done? Some were meticulous planners, Luke. Others, not so much, Peter. Others, such as Abraham’s servant and had an assignment, had specific criteria, moved in the right direction, and prayed for guidance. He was organized, yet he depended on the Father for guidance and intervention.

He had specific criteria for the woman who would become Isaac’s wife. He sought a woman who was generous, caring, and loyal. The servant was not vague, looking for a hopeful outcome or simply God’s “best.” He made a specific request.

Genesis 24:12, 14

 12 He prayed, “O LORD, God of my master, Abraham, please give me success today.

 14 This is my request. I will ask one of them [the women coming to draw water], ‘Please give me a drink from your jug.’ If she says, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’ – let her be the one you have selected as Isaac’s wife. This is how I will know that you have shown unfailing love to my master.”

How did that work out? Perfectly! The servant was wise and knew how to get things done. He had mastered the art of allowing the Father to speak to him while formulating his plans and praying. He knew how to pray because the Father had input into his thinking. The Father worked with him in small increments, providing the “to-do’s” and their completion. Also, the Father moved in the hearts of all the players necessary to accomplish His perfect will.

Genesis 24:27 And he said, blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who has not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me.

As soon as the Father worked, the servant prayed again and thanked Him. He worshiped and praised Him for what He had done.

But there’s more. Rebecca was a remarkable woman who was willing to serve and do more than what was asked for. Rather than seeking to do as little as possible, she took requests and “supersized” them.

REFLECT & PRAY

Isaiah 65:24 I will answer them before they even call to me. 

Father thank You for always being at work and inviting us to participate. Even as we pray, You have already provided the answer.

INSIGHT

As servants of the Father, we should see our relationship with Him as a long journey that ends in our Father’s house. The Lord Jesus Christ is gone on ahead and prepared a place for each child of the King (John 14:2).

Servants have one task: to serve their masters loyally at all times. But there’s something special about this anonymous servant. He was utterly devoted to Abraham and lived only to please him. His favorite name for Abraham was “my master” (Wiersbe). Being anonymous was just that. He didn’t even get an honorable mention.   

As a servant, he received his orders from his master. He did not question them, make suggestions, or change them. He asked a few clarifying questions and then committed to obeying. Abraham’s servant was “all in.” 

He had perfect faith that the Father would see that his assigned task would be accomplished. While he formulated his plan to get things done, he was enabled by the Father. He purposely took time to pray and to seek guidance and direction from the Father. He repeatedly prayed and watched to see what the Father would do. In one of the many ironic twists of the Scriptures, while he was praying, God sent the answer. Before he finished praying, the Father answered. 

Isaiah 65:24 I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 10-27-2

© Dr. H 2022