Using your head is important.

Trust God, but also use wisdom

This is an unusual passage and one we can skim over quite easily if we’re not careful.

I use the title to summarise what we are reading.

This story should encourage anyone who is working and living under unfair circumstances. The combination of trusting God and being disciplined, practically even in the environment of deception, can mean you thrive.

^“Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. ³⁸ Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, ³⁹ they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. ⁴⁰ Jacob set apart the young of the flock by themselves, but made the rest face the streaked and dark-colored animals that belonged to Laban. Thus he made separate flocks for himself and did not put them with Laban’s animals. ⁴¹ Whenever the stronger females were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches, ⁴² but if the animals were weak, he would not place them there. So the weak animals went to Laban and the strong ones to Jacob. ⁴³ In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.” (Genesis 30 v 37-43)

A reminder that Jacob had agreed to take a disadvantaged wage, it looked like that anyway. The speckled and spotted animals would be his payment.

We will be helped in the next chapter, knowing that God had shown Jacob in a dream that his flock would produce animals with this certain look. Basically, this story tells how God would supernaturally bring increase to him, and he had to have faith. So he selected the stronger animals and intentionally bred them. Faith and wisdom are a great combination, and the stronger animals became his. He became exceedingly prosperous and fulfilled earlier promises.

So what are my takeaways from this passage?

You may be working or living in an unfair situation, but God can prosper you.

You can have faith and have a strategy at the same time. Using your brain is important!

You can make sure the wool isn’t pulled over your eyes – be wise.

I think the important lesson from this story is also that life is often a combination of the promise of God to look after you and patient endurance, whilst you strategically act with the wisdom given to you.