God, can I trust you?

It’s one thing to listen for God to speak to you. It’s another to actually trust Him when he does. That’s why I love the stories of the Patriarchs and saints in the Old Testament. These men and women from ancient times had real lives, real struggles and real flaws when it came to their lives of faith. Through their stories I am encouraged that God is patient, and that His grace works out in our lives, even when we get it wrong ourselves. I’ve been there!

In Genesis 31 we have the account of Jacob’s departure from his time of servitude in Laban’s household. Jacob has spent twenty years working for his father-in-law. In that time he’s been tricked, deceived and cheated multiple times by Laban – yet all the time God has been blessing Jacob and causing him to prosper. But the time comes when God speaks to Jacob in a dream and tells him it’s time for him to go home to the land of his father and grand-father, Isaac and Abraham (verse 13). Jacob shares what he has heard in his dream with his wives, Leah and Rachel, and together they agree that it’s time to leave Laban’s household and return to Jacob’s land. 

When the time comes to depart, we learn that Rachel decides to steal her father’s household idols to bring along with them. Hedging her bets for additional good luck for the journey perhaps? And we’re told that Jacob decides to sneak away without actually telling Laban he was leaving – because he was afraid Laban wouldn’t let him go (verse 31). Sure enough, the very thing they were fearful of happens. Laban gathers his men and pursues them for seven days. 

In the end it all works out. God speaks to Laban in a dream, warning him not to harm Laban, and Jacob and Laban work it out between themselves (though, interestingly, Rachel gets away with keeping the idols – more to come on that another time I’m sure). 

But why all the drama? Why did Jacob try to sneak away – even after he knew that God had told him to return to his home? Didn’t he think that God would be able to watch over him and protect him once he had stepped out to do what God had said? The short answer is, no – he didn’t. Jacob clearly heard God speak to him, and he understood clearly what God told him to do. But that didn’t mean that Jacob trusted God as much as he needed to. He was still learning that.

Jacob believed God had spoken to him, but he didn’t trust Him. Belief is not the same as faith. Belief can be mostly mental – we cognitively recognize the truth of something. But faith is trust. Faith is when we put things on the line to actually “do” the thing God has spoken to us about. Faith is not recognition of God speaking – it is following through on how God has spoken. 

It’s good that we are learning to listen to God. It’s good that we are asking God to speak to us, individually and as a congregation. But let’s be prepared – what will we do once God does say something to us? What will we do then? Will we have faith?