Sermon Central
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Go Find A Wife: A Christian Approach To Goal-Setting.
Contributed by Jack Brooks on Sep 28, 2020 (message contributor)
Summary: In Genesis 24, we read the story of the servant's search for a wife for Isaac. There are historical incidentals here that don't apply to us today. But there are timeless principles that apply to discerning and achieving our goals, under the hand of God.
The full video message can be found, starting at about the 210-minute mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOzKvRnUXto&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0EmZatkbKgmzJQfsooE5rApGT4suxEUAGusPAy1oBnuKeP54fcOTeiFho
Not everything we read the Bible characters do are rules for Christians in modern living. For example, this was an arranged marriage. But we can see timeless principles in God's actions, as He led them in their historical and cultural circumstances.
2. Abraham reasoned out his goal Scripturally. He didn't use a feelings-based approach.
3. God's word regulated their options (no Canaanite girls, had to be a member of the God-fearing family, Isaac could not leave the promised land to search), but the Lord was still able to meet the need inside those limits.
4. Abraham relied on God's guidance and involvement in the process. He wasn't acting in a spirit of self-reliance.
5. Rigorous effort was needed. They were not lazy. Finding Isaac a wife took a lot of money and effort.
6. The servant used sound criteria to reveal God's answer. He didn't jump at the first possibility. His prayer wasn't an arbitrary "fleece" request. He drew a box, and knew the Lord's answer, whoever it was, would fit inside that box.
7. Applicational questions to ask ourselves: Are we using Scripture to reason out our needs, goals, methods, and assessments? Am I acting with confident faith? Am I lazy, and calling it "waiting on God"? Will I even recognize God's answer when it comes, or will I need to be smacked in the face by the Lord's dodge-=ball?
