She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she
said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah. Then she
stopped having children. (Genesis 29:35)
Every time that Leah bore a son on the previous three occasions, she had a
great expectation that at least then her husband would love her. When she bore
the first child to Jacob she named him Reuben saying, “It is because the Lord
has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.” When she gave birth to
a son again, she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me
this one too and she named him Simeon.” When she gave birth to yet another son,
her expectations were very high. She said, “Now at last my husband will become
attached to me because I have borne him three sons. So he was named Levi.
But things did not work out for Leah as she expected. Though Jacob had bodily
union with Leah, he did not love her or perhaps his love for Rachel was greater
and it was evident to all including Leah.
She finally seems to have accepted her (unloved by husband) situation and so
when the fourth son was born, she did not expect Jacob to love her any more
than he actually was loving her, but she took a decision to praise the Lord
instead.
If some situations in your life are seemingly impossible, it is better to
concentrate on the Lord and focus upon his goodness and blessings and praise
him rather than grumble/worry unduly about things that have not yet worked out.
God can do the impossible, but sometimes we have to wait.
The Psalmist sang: I will sacrifice a thank
offering to you and call on the name of the LORD. I will fulfill my vows to the
LORD in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the LORD
- in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD. (Psalm 116:17-19)
Will you sacrifice a thank offering? Will you
praise him? It will give you peace of mind.
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