On A Mission for God
Subtitle: If you can’t help me, please don’t stop me.
Genesis 24:50-56
50. Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing proceeds from the Lord: we cannot speak to you bad or good.”
51. “Behold, Rebekah is before you, take her, and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as the Lord has spoken.”
52. And it came to pass, that when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he worshipped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth.
53. And the servant brought forth jewels of silver and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.
54. And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night, and they rose up in the morning, and he said, “Send me away unto my master.”
55. And her brother and her mother said, “let the damsel abide with us a few days, at least ten; after that she shall go.”
56. And he said to them, “Hinder me not, seeing the Lord has prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.”
Sometimes People are Just Not Ready
There are many enemies that we will face in life, but one of the most treacherous and cunning evil enemies is one called “procrastination.” Procrastination does not deny that there is a mission. Procrastination does not argue the importance of the mission, or its value once accomplished. Procrastination simply whispers, “let’s just wait a while.” It has become evident that many people love this excuse for several reasons. Reason one, they agree with what’s right but take no action. Reason two, procrastinators believe if they talk long enough commitment won’t be necessary. Reason three, “not ready people” become a strong influence on the “been ready people.”
The fact is, some of the best ideas, the best programs, and the greatest missions have either been delayed or aborted due to folks that were not ready. For that reason, it is absolutely critical to examine the Mission Objective, the Mission Plan, and the Mission Resources. If the Mission Objective has not changed, then the Mission is still good. If the Mission Plan has not been altered (that is, the necessary steps to fulfill the Mission Objective) then the mission must go on with or without the folks that are not ready. Lastly, if the Mission Resources have not been depleted, then there is no reason to delay the Mission over folks that are not ready. So how do you deal with “Not Ready People?”
Try to first understand where the “Not Ready People” are coming from. Listen to their claim before making a judgment call. This introduces an obscure Old Testament character that believed fully in his mission for God. His name was Eliezer, which means “God is my Help” or “Help of God.“ This man was Abraham’s faithful servant and became steward of Abraham’s household. He had authority over all of Abraham’s resources. He was a good natured person and was fully committed to doing right. Here are the reasons he was dependable and committed. Prior to the birth of Ishmael, and ultimately Isaac, he was the intended heir of Abraham’s estate. (See Genesis 15:2). When Ishmael was born, Eliezer was glad to see it because this pleased his master. Later, when the true heir, Isaac was born, Eliezer was glad because he knew this was God’s plan. He supported Abraham and did everything in his power to obey. He was not envious or jealous because he was just so happy to be a part of the program and plan. That is the nature of “been ready people.” They are just so happy to be saved. They are truly thankful for where God has brought them that they don’t worry about what belongs to someone else. They rejoice in the things that God has given. On the other hand, “Not Ready People” are never satisfied, it doesn’t matter what you give them.
Will You be Faithful to the Mission?
Eliezer’s Mission involved going to a strange land in order to find a wife for Isaac, the son of Abraham. The instructions were very specific. Abraham said to Eliezer, “Go to my country, and to my people, and take a wife for my son Isaac” … “do not bring my son there again.” Gen. 24:4,6. Abraham assured Eliezer that God would send His Angel before him and that he would find the wife for Isaac. The events of the mission are so intriguing as Eliezer prays for God’s guidance and for success. The Lord led him to the right place as Rebekah came to the well to draw water. Eliezer asked God for a sign of confirmation that the young woman that answers his request for water would respond by saying, “drink, and I will give your camels drink also” let that be the future wife for Isaac. Gen. 24:14. Before he could complete the prayer, Rebekah was at the well. That’s God, but more importantly, that’s God with you on the mission. O the mission is not impossible when the Lord is with you. He makes all things possible.
We learn several important lessons from Eliezer’s mission. First, the mission objective must be clear. There are many who claim they are serving God and will serve Him until they die, but the definition of service needs to be clarified. Jesus defined our mission as being a witness, Acts 1:8. Jesus also said that we are to teach all nations the things that God has commanded. Matthew 28:20. Simply living day to day and dealing with the everyday situations of life is not a mission; that’s just life. A mission is when you make serving God as a witness your priority. Now the mission objective is clear.
Second, the mission plan must be in place. Eliezer had a plan as to where he would go and what he needed to do. I’m sure he had directions as to how he would get to Mesopotamia from Canaan. It is sad to think that there are those in the Church who claim to be God’s witnesses and have not taken the time to memorize some Bible verses that would help them share the Gospel. Part of the believer’s mission plan is to become familiar with the Bible as the Word of God. How can we teach others about God if we are not familiar with what He has said?
Third, we must rely on mission resources if the mission is to be successful. Please note that Eliezer had access to all of Abraham’s resources and I’m sure that Abraham gave him full authority to use whatever was needed on the journey. The same is true for every believer that God sends on a mission for His Glory. All the resources of the Kingdom of God are made available so that the mission will be successful. God wants you to succeed in your mission and has given you all things in Christ Jesus that will make you strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. As Abraham said to Eliezer, God will send His Angel before you.
The reality is every mission will face some opposition. Things were going so good for Eliezer. He reached his destination in perfect time. He found the right person that he was supposed to meet. Everybody agreed that the mission was complete. Then something happened on the eve of the departure date. Procrastination showed up on the scene and was intending to sabotage the mission. But God had another plan.
Dealing with Delays and Deadlines
Rebekah’s family started having second thoughts about the deal. Please note that everyone was in agreement and the deal was signed. Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing proceeds from the Lord: we cannot speak to you bad or good” … “Behold, Rebekah is before you, take her, and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as the Lord has spoken.” By the next morning procrastination set in. And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night, and they rose up in the morning, and he said, “Send me away unto my master” … And her brother and her mother said, “let the damsel abide with us a few days, at least ten; after that she shall go.” The “not ready folk” began to speak another language. But Eliezer had prayed and He knew that God would, could, and should, make a way where there seemed to be no way. Rather than argue the agreement, Eliezer deferred the matter to God. He said to them, “Hinder me not, seeing the Lord has prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.” In other words, if you can’t help me, please don’t stop me. He was too close to turn around now. God had brought him all this way. Something happens when you introduce your enemies to God. They have to back down and let you pass. The Bible says that the family left the final decision up to Rebekah thinking that she would be afraid and back out of the deal. They did not know that God had worked on Rebekah’s heart. They didn’t know that God had picked her out to pick her up. They didn’t know that fear had no place where faith did abound. Rather than saying “I’m not ready” Rebekah replied, “I will go.” Gen. 24:58. Rebekah was convinced that going with God was far better than staying with “not ready folk.”
Here are the take-aways. At some point, your mission will become impossible and that is when you rely on God to help you on the mission. He is the only one that can bring you through. Second, missions are often places where it is easy to get lost and for that reason always rely on God as your Eternal Guide. The final point is that the mission is not completed until you reach the destination. Finding Rebekah was not “mission accomplished.” Getting Rebekah to Isaac was the mission, and that is what Eliezer did. When Rebekah saw Isaac she covered her face with a veil and ran out to meet Him. The mission closes as Eliezer tells Isaac everything that he had done. Gen. 24:66. When you get to Heaven you will be able to tell Jesus everything that happened on your mission. Then again, He already knows because He was with you every step of the way. For now, just be faithful on your mission for God.