Second Best

SECOND BEST

 

No one likes to be "second best", but always want to be first, its part of our human nature. There is a story in the OT that deals with this matter, it is found in chapters 29 and 30 of the book of Genesis. It involves Jacob who had gone to find a wife among his relatives in a place called Haran, where he met the daughter of his uncle Laban, who invited him to stay with his family for a month. Laban had two daughters named Leah and Rachel, and Jacob loved Rachel who was the younger of the two. Jacob agreed to work 7 years for Laban in return for Rachel as his wife, but Laban tricked him into marrying Leah, because of some custom that demanded the first born child must be married first. Anyhow Jacob stayed and worked an additional 7 years for Rachel and had them both as his wife. Rachel proved to be barren while Leah bore him several sons. She named the first one Reuben meaning "See a Son", the second one she named Simeon, meaning "Heard", and the third she named Levi, meaning "attached". Clearly she had been trying to please Jacob by bearing him sons, but she seemed to change at this point and bore him a fourth son and named him Judah, meaning "Praise", and then she stopped bearing children. Her attempts at gaining Jacob's love never worked for her, which reminds me of some people's attempt by various religious "works" to please God, who already loves the whole world so much that He allowed His only begotten Son Jesus to die for our sins (John 3:16).

 

We can do nothing to deserve or gain His love because He is love according to (1 John 4:8), and the word John used here for "love" is the Greek word [Agape] which always means a God kind of love, because "God is Agape". Because God is Agape, therefore all of His creation including every person whether they know it or not is loved by Him, and Jesus Christ His Son, our Lord and Savior is the door or entrance into a relationship with Him. (John 14:6) Bob Mumford points out in his teaching in "The Agape Road" that the 7 fold DNA of God consisting of 1/ Compassion, 2/ Grace, 3/ Slow to anger,

4/ Mercy, 5/ Truth, 6/ Faithfulness, 7/ Forgiveness, so we can rest assured that there is no such thing as being "second best" in His Church, which is the "Body of Christ". As long as you have made the choice to "believe by faith", accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and Father has adopted you into His Forever Family, you are part of His Family for Eternity!! That is certainly why the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is called "Good News"!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                                                             14/02/13