Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord
saying, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham,
who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master.
As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.”
Genesis 24:26-27
Perhaps there was no more daunting assignment for an Old Testament servant than being sent to find a wife for the master’s son. And when the son is the only son of Abraham, the one through whom God has promised to bless the nations, the stakes are even higher.
The servant, widely believed by biblical scholars to be Eliezer, prepared well before launching out. He asked several questions of Abraham to clarify the assignment. He assembled ample supplies. And, most importantly of all, he prayed.
His prayer (recorded in Genesis 24:12-14) was:
- Selfless (he asked for success so that his master would be blessed)
- Specific (“When I ask for a drink, let her offer to water my camels, too.”)
- Submitted (he prayed that God’s will be done — “let her be the one you have chosen”)
Oh, that our prayers would be selfless! Perhaps when they come from a place of selflessness, God honors what we have specifically asked. And most of all, perhaps God delights in answering prayers that demonstrate our trust and submission to Him. In fact, I believe the prayer that never, ever fails is: Thy will be done!
God not only answered Eliezer’s prayer, He answered quickly. Verse 15 begins, “Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came…” I love that!
The encounter at the well is recorded in Genesis 24:15-25. Everything unfolded beautifully. God provided far beyond expectations. And that leads us to verses 26 and 27, one of our Write the WORD passages for the month.
In these verses, Eliezer models the proper response to God’s provision: worship. He was so overwhelmed with gratitude to God that he immediately bowed down and praised God for His provision with thankful worship.
His example challenges us to do the same.
Over the course of a day, week, or month, you and I most likely ask God for many things — guidance, provision, resources, help, words, wisdom, etc. But do we follow through when He follows through? When God answers, is our first response like that of Eliezer: bow down and worship? Is thankful worship part of your walk with the Lord?
What are you bowing down and worshiping God for today?
This week’s devotional video features Laura’s teaching on the third chapter of Nehemiah. In Chapter 3, God’s people roll up their sleeves and put some work behind their words of commitment in Chapter 2: “Let us rise up and build.” As you listen to this week’s teaching lecture, we invite you to consider how the Israelites working together then compares to the body of Christ working together today.
Visit our Downloads page today to find your own copy of this month’s Write the WORD bookmark, S.O.A.P. Bible study pages, and more.
Laura’s weekly in-person Bible study (which meets in Siloam Springs, Arkansas) is a daytime class. As such, the ladies in the group are primarily retired or stay-at-home moms with young children. For years, it has been Laura’s desire to also connect with women in the workplace — many of whom have a desire and heart to grow in the Word, but are restrained by time challenges. If that describes you, we pray that our new program, Triple Cord, might meet your need. Listen to Laura unpack the Triple Cord idea and then reach out to us via email for more information about joining a Triple Cord group.
