Do You Seek The Lord's Guidance? Feb. 17, 2007 Gen. 24:34-48
Introduction
1. Seek The Lord's Guidance . . Recognizing Your Task. 24:34-41
A. Remembering The . . Giver Of the Task. 24:34-35
34 "I am Abraham's servant," he said. 35
"The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and
he has become rich. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold,
male and female
slaves, and camels and donkeys.
B. Remembering The . . Gifts Of the Lord. 24:36
36 Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master in her old age, and
he has given
him everything he owns.
C. Remembering The . . Goal Of
the Task. 24:37-39
37 My master put me under this oath: 'You will not take a wife
for my son from the
daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I live 38 but will go to my
father's household
and to my family to take a wife for my son.' 39 But I said to my
master, 'Suppose the
woman will not come back with me?'
D. Remembering The . . Guidance For The Task.
24:40-41
40 He said to me, 'The Lord before whom I have walked will send His
angel with you
and make your journey a success, and you will take a wife for my son
from my family
and from my father's household. 41 Then you will be free from my oath
if you go to my
family and they do not give her to you--you will be free from my oath.
Abraham gave the
task of getting Isaac a wife to his servant with specifics for its
fulfillment. The servant evidently respected Abraham and believed God's
blessing rested on him. This
servant knew how God blessed Sarah in giving her a son, and God blessed
Isaac with the many
gifts he inherited. The goal for this servant was to find God's choice
of a wife for Isaac. Abraham promised guidance of the Lord's angel, and
success in his assignment. Today we need
to follow the leading of the Holy Spirt for direction in the tasks we
are given.
2. Seek The Lord's Guidance . . Relying On The Lord. 24:42-44
A. Relying On The Lord For The . . Direction Of
Prayer. 24:42-43
42 "Today when I
came to the spring, I prayed: Lord, God of my master Abraham, if
only You will make my journey successful! 43 I am standing here at a
spring. Let the
virgin who comes out to draw water, and I say to her: Please let me
drink a little water
from your jug,
B. Relying On The Lord For The .
. Details Of Prayer. 24:44-
44 and who responds to me, 'Drink, and I'll draw water for your camels
also'--let
her be the woman the Lord has appointed for my master's son.
We can be directed
by God in our prayer life. He will give us the thoughts and requests
to pray if we walk with Him. As a parent your child at times will come
and thrill your heart by
asking for the very things you desire for him or her. Children may ask
your blessing on
something you rejoice in them receiving. Our children can be submissive
to our wants, and
maybe we did not specifically tell them what we desired but God told
them. Abraham was
specific in the details of his prayer. I had a friend who used to
illustrate specific prayer by
saying, "if you want pepperoni on your pizza, ask for it. God expects
us to request the desires of
our hearts.
3. Seek The Lord's Guidance . . Rejoicing In The Lord's Provision. 24:45-48
A. Rejoicing In The Lord's . . Rapid Answer To
Prayer. 24:45-46
45 "Before I had
finished praying in my heart, there was Rebekah coming with her jug
on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. So I
said to her:
Please let me have a drink. 46 She quickly lowered her jug from her
shoulder and said,
'Drink, and I'll water your camels also.' So I drank, and she also
watered the camels.
B. Rejoicing In The Lord's . . Rightness Of The
Answer To Prayer. 24:47-48
47 Then I asked her: Whose daughter are you? She responded, 'The
daughter of Bethuel
son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.' So I put the ring on her nose
and the bracelets
on her wrists. 48 Then I bowed down, worshiped the Lord, and praised
the Lord, the
God of my master Abraham, who guided me on the right way to take the
daughter of my
master's brother for his son. HCSB