Doing What You Can

Doing What You Can

[Rebekah] sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Your brother Esau is consoling himself with the thought of killing you. Now then, my son, do what I say: Flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran.”

Genesis 27:42–43

Rebekah shows her wisdom in sending Jacob away to avoid Esau’s anger. She didn’t test God by saying, “The one who blessed you will also care for you,” and let it go at that. To be sure, whatever God wants will indeed happen, but he uses people and things to accomplish what he wants. Rebekah believed that the worship of God and the blessing entrusted to Jacob would be protected. So she made use of what God had provided to find a way for Jacob to avoid danger.

Those who assume God will take care of everything and don’t think it’s important to make use of what’s available should carefully note this example. These kinds of people sometimes don’t take any action, because they believe that if something is meant to happen, then it will happen with or without their help. They even put themselves in unnecessary danger, expecting God to protect them because of his promises.

But these kinds of thoughts are sinful, because God wants you to use what you have available and make the best of your opportunities. He wants to accomplish his will through you. For example, he gave you a father and mother, even though he could have created you and fed you without them. This means that in your everyday life, you have the responsibility to work. You plow, plant, and harvest, but God is the one who provides the outcome.

If you stopped giving a baby milk, reasoning that the baby could live without food if the baby were meant to live, then you would be fooling yourself and sinning. God has given mothers breasts to nurse their babies. He could easily feed children without milk if he chose to. But God wants you to use the resources he has provided.