I Went to Bed with a Call & Woke up with a Job

Have you ever had one of those God moments in your journey where you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that you heard from God? Maybe it was ...

• the moment you knew God was calling you into a personal relationship with him
• the day you realized you were supposed to leave one career for another
• the burden to engage a nonbeliever you know for the purpose of connecting them to Christ
• the time God asked you to step up and serve Him in a new and challenging ministry through your church

For most people, the day of that call ends with the peace of knowing that they heard from God, as well as an excitement about the prospects of cooperating with God on a world changing project!

On that day, you go to bed with a call and then at some point you wake up with a job!

This is exactly what happened to Laban, Bethuel and Milcah--remember Milcah? Their story is found in Genesis 24. Abraham is about to die and he is concerned that they have not gotten a wife for Isaac. So in a strange ceremony that must have made everyone a bit uncomfortable, Abraham calls in his oldest and most trusted servant Eliezer and tells him to place his hand under his thigh and promise to get Isaac a wife from his family back in Mesopotamia. (When you don' t have a stack of Bibles to swear on, what are you supposed to do?)

Eliezer reluctantly places his hand under his thigh, makes the promise and heads out to the city of Nahor. When he arrives he has an amazing encounter with a woman at the well who turns out to be Rebekah, the granddaughter of Abraham's brother. He goes to their home and relates the most improbable story of how God answered his prayers through this encounter and then asks that Rebekah return to Canaan with him to be Isaac's wife.

Laban, the big brother, and Bethuel, the dad are shocked at what has happened! Clearly God had orchestrated the events of the day and they were being called into something that was so much bigger than they were. Their response was, "The matter comes from the Lord; so we cannot speak to you bad or good. Here is Rebekah before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, as the Lord has spoken." (Genesis 24:49-50).

They were all so thrilled that God was calling them to the playing field that they had a feast, eating and drinking into the night, celebrating what God was doing with their families. AND THEN MORNING CAME AND WITH IT A WAKE UP CALL ...

When Eliezer asked for permission to take Rebekah and leave for home, Laban and Milcah spit the bit. They realized that the work of obedience was about to begin and it would come at a great and painful sacrifice. When they woke up, they understood that what God was calling them to was was separation from their beloved Rebekah. It would mean a new and different way of life. It would mean letting Rebekah go forever! It turned out to be a sacrifice that they didn't really care to make.

Laban and Milcah initially tried to delay the departure. "Let the girl stay with us a few days, say ten; afterward she may go." (Genesis 24:55).

Eliezer, knowing that delayed obedience was disobedience, rejected the notion. He wanted to get moving while God was moving so he pleaded for permission to leave immediately.

Laban and Milcah had one last card up their sleeves, they asked that Rebekah be given an opportunity to speak for herself. They figured that Rebekah woke up feeling the same way they were, so they suggested that she be brought in and consulted. Rebekah's response, "I will go." (Genesis 50:58).

For Rebekah it was a simple issue of obedience to God's call. She was called into something so much bigger than she was, she wasn't going to let the sacrifice demanded derail her divine moment.

Laban and Milcah went to bed with a call, woke up with a job, and hoped for a recall. Rebekah went to bed with a call, woke up with a job, and followed through embracing the sacrifice demanded.

Have you ever gone to bed with a call and woke up with a job? What happened next?