Spare me the details
‘Now, if you intend to fulfil your responsibility towards my master and treat him fairly, please tell me; if not, say so, and I will decide what to do.’
Laban and Bethuel answered, ‘Since this matter comes from the LORD, it is not for us to make a decision. Here is Rebecca; take her and go. Let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD himself has said.’ (verses 49-51)
By the time the servant had told his story again, the food must have been cold. He left no stone unturned to make sure Laban and Bethuel knew exactly what had happened. He was making sure there was no room for misunderstanding. He said, ‘Whatever your decision, let me know so I can act accordingly’.
The decision that follows is remarkable in its contrast to the laboured words of the servant: ‘Since this matter comes from the LORD, it is not for us to make a decision. Here is Rebecca; take her and go.’ If it is God’s will, which they believe it is, the decision has already been made.
How often do we get worked up about and make heavy work of something that God already has under control? How often must he sit shaking his head sadly as we tell him all about the situation and make sure nothing is missed out? Because he already knows. It is good to be well prepared.
It is good to work things through. But, when we take our cares to God, it is good to remember that he knows what we need better than we ourselves do. We can trust him to make the right decision.
Father, help me not to burden you with details you already know, but rather to put my life in your hands, knowing I am completely at home and at peace there. Amen.
by Bob Turnbull, in ‘God’s Promises for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 1999)
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