Rachael was beautiful but Leah had weak eyes!  We aren’t sure just what that means.  I doubt if it really is about her eyes but more about her beauty.  In a culture where a girl’s appearance and status determined her worth, Leah suffered from being compared to her beautiful sister, Rachael. 

Jacob fell madly in love with Rachel.  The story begins in Gensis 29. Jacob worked for Laban to earn Rachel, but then he was tricked, and Leah became number one wife. Jacob was dismayed.  Imagine Leah’s heartbreak knowing that she would never experience her husband’s true love. 

God knew Leah’s pain.  Leah gave Jacob the greatest gifts she could give: many sons.  But that was not enough.  You can hear her heartbreak in the names she gave each son at his birth.   With each birth, Leah longed for Jacob’s love and approval that never came. 

Like Leah, sometimes we also strive for the approval of people to fill a void that only God can satisfy.  When Leah stopped reaching for Jacob’s affection and started resting in God promises, her legacy was transformed.  From her son, Judah, came the line of King David, and eventually, Jeshua/ Jesus the Messiah (Matt1:1-2).

 Leah’s story is a powerful reminder that even though initially her desire was not fulfilled, God used her in incredible ways. 

Many of us have experienced deep discouragement at some time.  Maybe it was a dream that didn’t come true or a healing that never occurred.  Perhaps a significant relationship ended, or a prayer that seemed to go unanswered.  Disappointment is a universal human experience. If we let it take root, it can produce resentment and despair. 

Disappointment often stems from delays.  But God’s delays are not denials.  Faith means trusting His timing even when from our perspective the answer is long overdue.   

 Though your situation might not change immediately, your heart can find peace in God because He never fails. 

Leah’s story reveals that when we shift our focus from our disappointments to believing in His timing, we find our identity and purpose.  He is the one who heals our hearts and gives us eternal hope.  “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.  He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. (Ps. 34:18)

                                         God Has a purpose for you.              

                                                Be encouraged!