Water for the Predictable

Once upon a sunny or not-so-sunny day, Rebekah wakes up and remembers that she is still single. “What a sorry lot in life I have,� she moans, “perhaps I am old enough now to go see Mephibosheth and determine if there might be someone outside of this dreary deserty land of Ur who would like to marry me. I hear those guys from Canaan are pretty good looking.� Alas, Rebekah knows her father wouldn’t allow it and she doesn’t hold out much hope for the success of old Mephy’s cross-desert matchmaking anyway. Upon getting out of bed and completing her boudoir, she looks over the list for the day. Watering sheep. "I do that all the time."

Would you believe this story? I wouldn’t. Yet this is how many of us girls-at-home live – whiny, mopey, complaining about our lives. We are constantly looking for a way out, something exciting to do, somebody new to meet, some interesting job to replace the predictable things we do now. Yet in hearing this story, we know the dramatic irony – it’s in the very act of doing the tedious, everyday job that Rebekah’s life is about to change forever.

Multiple places in Scripture we find the story of a woman at a well. The first instance is this one in Genesis chapter 24, in which the servant of Isaac finds him a wife. We see this happening again in Genesis chapter 29, where Jacob meets Rachel.

In both of these situations, we see some parallels to our lives as girls at home.

First of all, these women were in want of something – a husband.
Secondly, these women did not go out pursuing the thing they desired.
Thirdly, these women busied themselves with the work at hand, taking care of their father’s business, which was sheep.
Fourth, these women were ready and willing to help others at the well.
Fifth, these women received what they desired.

I tend to think that Rebekah and Rachel were both happy to have the privilege of serving their fathers. I would bet they took great pleasure in watering sheep and in doing the sundry other jobs that were before them. I even tend to think that it is because of this faithfulness that God blessed them with faithful husbands. Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.� Blessings are promised to those who are busy about the work of the Lord, not those who are busy about the work of obtaining blessings.

When our focus, our actions, or even just our thoughts, begin to turn from serving others to finding a mate, we lose the honor of working diligently where God has placed us. Complaining and whining negates our cheerful service. Our well is our home and our sheep watering is the various activities that our Heavenly and earthly fathers have given us to do. Like Rebekah and Rachel, we are to be blissfully unaware of ourselves and look only to the task at hand of serving our Father. Spending time plotting our escape or future excitement only distracts us.

I think one of the interesting things about this story is the predictability of these girls. Genesis 24:11 refers to the “time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.� Sure enough, there was Rebekah. Chapter 29:9 says, “And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep; for she kept them.� There she was – right on time. Faithfulness could be defined as being where we are supposed to be when we are supposed to be there and it is to the faithful that eternal rewards are promised.

Our diligence may or may not be rewarded with a husband. If your heart is longing for something outside of your current life, don’t fool yourself by supposing that a husband will fix it. Think of another famous woman at a well, namely, the one Jesus met. She was there working as usual and who came up to her? It was the One who gave her living water and enabled her never to thirst again. Our prize may not be an earthly one like Rebekah and Rachel’s, but we are guaranteed that faithfulness is always rewarded with treasures in heaven. Stay patiently at your well. If your father’s sheep are all watered, begin to glance around for others who are in need of refreshment. Whatever you do, stay there. The one who has the water of life knows where to find you, whether it be to give you a husband or an everlasting drink. We will never be disappointed.