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“And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” Genesis 29:25 (ESV)

I simply couldn’t resist when my fave tennis shoes were on sale. The Facebook post was for a limited half-price offer and my old ones were in desperate need of replacing, so I bought two pairs.  Browsing through some emails the next day, I noticed a receipt of payment from a utility company. Further investigation revealed the payment on the utilities was the same amount as my new shoes. No brainer here – the offer was a scam, and I had been deceived into thinking I got the best deal ever.

We see the reaping of deception scattered and taking root within Jacob’s family. His mother, Rebekah, told Jacob to disguise himself and deceive his father  (Genesis 27), and in today’s passage, Rebekah’s brother Laban deceives Jacob.

Laban knew Jacob loved his daughter Rachel. Yet on the day of their wedding, he presented his older daughter Leah instead. According to the customs of their day, Leah would have been veiled until she was finally alone with her husband in the honeymoon suite. With all the wedding festivities going late into the night it was easy to see how the truth was unknown until the morning dawned. Jacob, the deceiver, had been deceived and was reaping what he had sown.

Pastor Charles Stanley states, “You reap what you sow, more than you sow and later than you sow.” This principle of sowing (speiro)  and reaping (therizo) was an agricultural term understood by those in ancient times.   Speiro in the Greek indicates a scattering for future growth while therizo culminates in the harvest. Paul, however, uses this powerful imagery as a spiritual principle about our choices and actions – whatever we sow, we will also reap (Galatians 6:7).

We see this play out in the lives of Laban and Jacob. After the wedding deception, Laban agreed to also give Rachel to Jacob if he worked an additional seven years. Deceit began to cultivate a crop neither of them could have envisioned. Rachel was the love of Jacob’s life yet barren for years;  Leah was the fertile one bearing many sons yet unloved. Manipulation, envy and comparison would pit these two sisters in fierce competition against each other reaping a harvest of drama within their families.

Despite all the conflict, God graciously continued to bless Jacob’s life. He became exceedingly prosperous with large flocks, servants, camels and donkeys. The children born from Leah and Rachel would one day become the great nation of Israel – God’s chosen people.

God has given each of us the freedom to choose what we sow with our thoughts, words and actions. We never know the ripple effect our choices will have on the lives of others. If we sow to please ourselves and manipulate circumstances to fit our agenda, we’ll reap devastating, complicated consequences. However, if we sow to please God and obey His word then we will reap the abundance of His blessings. It’s the best deal ever to glorify God by sowing obedience and loving others.

I would be the first to admit, I don’t often think about the impact of my daily sowing. My mind tends to default to what serves me well at the moment versus considering others. God has been teaching me to pause,  pray and praise before I act. Pause to seek His wisdom and settle my emotions. Pray so my  motives are pure and then Praise the One who will give me the strength to sow well. What we sow on a daily basis can impact others in a negative or positive way. Let’s ensure our choices serve us and others well.

“Father, we are so thankful for Your grace in those moments when we fail to align our thoughts, words and actions with Yours. Teach us the importance of sowing well so the ripple effects we create will honor You.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life