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November 20

By November 20, 2018365 Devotions

Look Up for Love

Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the LORD(Genesis 29:34, 35).

Scripture: Genesis 29:31-35

Song: “Christ Is Enough”

My friend hadn’t said a kind word about her husband in years. To me, he seemed like a decent guy. He faithfully managed his business, and his collection of books on topics ranging from WWII to birdwatching made him an interesting conversationalist. One day I gently confronted my friend about her criticism, and she broke down. “When I was diagnosed with cancer, he pulled away. I cook his favorite meals and take care of our home, but he hasn’t hugged me in years.”

My friend’s sharp words poured out from her unloved heart. She tried to win her husband’s affection, but nothing worked. In the same way, Leah tried to win Jacob’s love by giving him sons, but after the birth of their fourth, she gave up trying to please Jacob and chose to praise God instead.

Everyone enters marriage with dreams of “happily ever after,” but if we face heartache and disappointment, we can look up and praise the One who always loves us. Someone once said, “If you are having difficulty praising Him in your current situation, praise Him anyway. Keep praising Him until it gets easy. He will be blessed by your sacrifice of praise and when He is blessed, He blesses you.”

Heavenly Father, when I feel unloved, help me remember to look up to You. In Christ, amen.

Jim Eichenberger

Author Jim Eichenberger

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