The Small Stuff

Scripture(s): Genesis 317:12

"You know that I have served your father with all my strength. "Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times; however, God did not allow him to hurt me. "If he spoke thus, 'The speckled shall be your wages,' then all the flock brought forth speckled; and if he spoke thus, 'The striped shall be your wages,' then all the flock brought forth striped. "Thus God has taken away your father's livestock and given {them} to me. And it came about at the time when the flock were mating that I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which were mating {were} striped, speckled, and mottled. "Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said, 'Here I am.' "He said, 'Lift up now your eyes and see {that} all the male goats which are mating are striped, speckled, and mottled; for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.

Commentary:
Jacob worked for his uncle Laban, and he was a very hard and diligent worker. However, Laban had changed Jacobs wages ten times, and tried to give to Jacob as wages livestock that had flaws. Everytime that Laban changed his way of doing business with Jacob by switching livestock, God intervened in Jacobs favor. God also increased Jacob's livestock each time, by changing the characteristics of the livestock of Laban; therefore Laban's attempts of deceit and unfair business practices failed.

Reflection:
God sees when we are treated unfairly, and he knows how we feel. God's desire is that we prosper and be in health even as our soul prospers. Anything, or anyone, that would try to come up against us; our purpose, or the spoken word over our lives, will be dealth with by God. We do not have to take matters into our own hands. We do not have to be upset about it, and allow it to steal our productivity, and or creativity. Let us use the strength, and the energy that God gives us; to glorify him in everything that we do; and let him deal with the small stuff.

Prayer:
Father God, I thank you for taking care of  me, and that you see everything that concerns me. I thank you for not allowing anyone to take advantage of me. I do not have to take matters into my own hands to resolve issues that are unfair. I can trust, and depend on you to handle it for me. Thank you so much for your protection, and your grace. In Jesus Name, I pray, Amen.

Strong's Concordance Definitions: Genesis 31:12

Lift: 5375
1) to lift, bear up, carry, take

a) (Qal)
1) to lift, lift up
2) to bear, carry, support, sustain, endure
3) to take, take away, carry off, forgive
b) (Niphal)
1) to be lifted up, be exalted
2) to lift oneself up, rise up
3) to be borne, be carried
4) to be taken away, be carried off, be swept away
c) (Piel)
1) to lift up, exalt, support, aid, assist
2) to desire, long (fig.)
3) to carry, bear continuously
4) to take, take away
d) (Hithpael) to lift oneself up, exalt oneself
e) (Hiphil)
1) to cause one to bear (iniquity)
2) to cause to bring, have brought

up now: 4994
1) I (we) pray, now, please

a) used in entreaty or exhortation

your eye: 5869
1) eye
a) eye
1) of physical eye
2) as showing mental qualities
3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
2) spring, fountain

for I have seen: 7200
1) to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider

a) (Qal)
1) to see
2) to see, perceive
3) to see, have vision
4) to look at, see, regard, look after, see after, learn about, observe,
watch, look upon, look out, find out
5) to see, observe, consider, look at, give attention to, discern, distinguish
6) to look at, gaze at
b) (Niphal)
1) to appear, present oneself
2) to be seen
3) to be visible
c) (Pual) to be seen
d) (Hiphil)
1) to cause to see, show
2) to cause to look intently at, behold, cause to gaze at
e) (Hophal)
1) to be caused to see, be shown
2) to be exhibited to
f) (Hithpael) to look at each other, face

all: 3605
1) all, the whole

a) all, the whole of
b) any, each, every, anything
c) totality, everything

has been doing: 6213
1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make
a) (Qal)
1) to do, work, make, produce
a) to do
b) to work
c) to deal (with)
d) to act, act with effect, effect
2) to make
a) to make
b) to produce
c) to prepare
d) to make (an offering)
e) to attend to, put in order
f) to observe, celebrate
g) to acquire (property)
h) to appoint, ordain, institute
i) to bring about
j) to use
k) to spend, pass
b) (Niphal)
1) to be done
2) to be made
3) to be produced
4) to be offered
5) to be observed
6) to be used
c) (Pual) to be made
2) (Piel) to press, squeeze

References:
Blue Letter Bible. "Book of Beginnings - Genesis 31 - (NASB - New American Standard Bible)." Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 13 Jan 2010.  http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Gen&c=31&t=NASB

Higgins, S. (2009). The Small Stuff. Devotions for Thought. Higgins Publishing. Http://www.devotionsforthought.blogspot.com