God can fill the empty spaces

This morning, I read something that stood out to me in the Book of Genesis.

Genesis 29:35 KJV - And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

Now, if you read this verse on its own, you may be left scratching your head as to its significance. But in the verses before, we read the story of Leah.

Let me give you a bit of the backstory.

The first mention of Leah in the Bible is found in the story of Jacob. After Jacob tricked his father and stole his brother’s birthright, he was forced to flee to his Uncle Laban’s, where we are introduced to two sisters, Leah and Rachel.

Jacob fell head over heels in love with Rachel, the younger sister. The Bible tells us that she was beautiful, but her sister was less so.

Genesis 29:17 KJV - Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.

The Bible doesn’t pull any punches when it describes a woman’s beauty however politically incorrect it may seem.

I did a little study into the meaning of ‘tender-eyed’ and found that there were vastly different views as to its meaning, but I’m going to go with the view that Leah didn’t have quite the ‘sparkle’ in her eyes that her sister did and that in comparison she was quite plain and wasn’t as easy on the eyes as Rachel.

If you know your Bible stories at all, you’ll remember how Laban demanded that Jacob work for seven years for Rachel’s hand in marriage and then tricked him into marrying her sister, Leah and then had to work another seven years in order to marry the one he loved.

I can’t even imagine how Leah must have felt, so unloved, so unwanted and even hated (Genesis 29:31). Her husband was not backward in making her know that it was Rachel he loved.

But the story progresses.

God looked on Leah and saw her pain. He saw that she was unloved and unwanted, and he blessed her by giving her children while her sister remained barren.

Genesis 29:32 KJV - And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.

She realised that it was the Lord’s doing, but unfortunately her focus was off. She hoped that in giving her husband a son, he would now love her.

But Jacob’s love didn’t follow. And so, she was blessed with another son, and then another. After her third son, Levi, was born, she was sure her husband would be pleased enough to show her the love she so desperately craved.

But still, he didn’t.

The pain, the anguish, the hurt must have been unbearable. Every day she saw love showered upon her sister and she remained alone.

But then we come to verse 35 and this is where we see the change in Leah.

Genesis 29:35 KJV - And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

After bearing three sons and not receiving what she desired from her husband, Leah’s focus finally shifted. Instead of seeking, unsuccessfully, her husband’s love, she instead looked to the Lord who loved her. Unconditionally. Unfailingly.

“Now, will I praise the LORD”.

She finally came to the realisation that her husband would never and could never complete her. He couldn’t meet all her emotional needs (or any, in her case) and he definitely couldn’t love her like the Lord could.

She chose to change her mindset. She finally gave praise to God. He was the only one that could meet her needs. He was the one that was worthy of her praise.

The name Judah was chosen because it comes from the Hebrew word, yadah, meaning “to praise or to give thanks”.  

Leah named her son after the worshipful attitude that was welling up inside her heart after the realisation that God was all she needed, and God was to be praised.

Interestingly enough, it was through this fourth son, Judah, that God would choose as the bloodline through whom his Son, Jesus, would eventually be born. What an amazing blessing that she hadn’t seen coming!

But there’s more! God blessed her in her motherhood. Her third son, Levi, became the father of the tribe of Israel that was chosen to serve in the Tabernacle and later on, in the Temple.

What Leah lacked in her marriage, God made up for in eternal blessings.

Do you ever feel like Leah? Unloved. Unwanted. Just longing to be cherished or loved for who you are?

Do you feel alone physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually? Loneliness is something that affects each and every one of us at some time or another during our lives.

Sometimes it may not be physical. You may be surrounded by family and friends and yet feel alone. You can’t seem to connect with anyone on an emotional level.

Or maybe you feel spiritually alone. Maybe your spouse is an unbeliever. Or maybe you feel alone in your church as a single person.

What I want you to know is that there is someone who can and will meet all your needs.

Emotionally. Physically. Spiritually. EVERY one of them! And that person is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Yes, he is the only one that can meet ALL of your needs. It’s not right to expect your spouse or family or friends to meet all of your needs. It’s unachievable. They don’t need that kind of pressure from you, and you don’t need that kind of pressure from them.

People will let you down, but your Heavenly Father never will!

We often put so much pressure on those we love, expecting them to meet all of our needs and yet God is there, waiting with open arms, for you to come to him. Come to him in your brokenness. Come to him in humbleness. Come to him with your tears, your fears, your heartache. He is waiting for you.

The Lord Jesus is a protective refuge where you can pour out your heart, without fear of being misunderstood, misinterpreted or pushed aside. You never have to fear that he will turn a deaf ear or be too tired, distracted or drained.

Psalm 121:3-4 KJV - He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

He knows your heart and he understands your needs. He is aware of your desires and wants. He sees all the hurt and the pain. And he can heal all your wounds.

Psalm 34:18 KJV - The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

What a comfort it is to know that we never have to be alone.

You don’t have to win his love. You already have it! Unconditionally.

Just as Leah found comfort in the Lord and learned to trust him and look to him for fulfilment, so can we.

The whole time Leah was trying to win the favour of her husband, she already had the favour of God. What she desired was right there, within grasp, waiting for her eyes to be opened and her hand to reach out and take hold of it.

God’s hand of blessing was there all along.

If you are lonely today, don’t look to the world and its simple pleasures for fulfilment. Don’t look to people to fill you up.

Don’t waste your life chasing soap bubbles. The pretty things in this life may seem worthy of chasing, but they will never satisfy.

Don’t ever expect any one person on this earth to meet all your needs.

Look to the only one who can fill your tank to overflowing.

Jesus.

He is the one to run to. He is the one to cling to. He is the one that will meet your needs.

Give him all the praise. Give him all the glory.

Shift your focus. Set your eyes on him. Let your heart, mind and soul long for him.

Psalm 42:1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

And then say along with Leah, “Now, will I praise the LORD”