desperation ...

we're all there some days.  I don't think today was one of those days for me.  I don't think.  Although setting out to get my LONG overdue oil changed this morning, and finding when I arrived at 7:30 am to discover that the shop that I've used the last three years no longer services fleets, I was feeling a little desperate.  I mean, it would be tragic to needlessly show up at the office.  Yep, that was actually my FIRST thought ... followed by, I don't want to get up extra early again to get this stupid oil changed.  Luckily, I got my HUGE Sonic Diet Coke and waited for Pep Boys to open so I could spend some time with the Patriarchs ...

and that is the source of desperation.  Beth Moore sets that as the recurring theme of Genesis.  I hadn't thought about it before, but it is SOOO true.  Think how many decisions were made, and actions done in desperation.  Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Esau, Lot ... How often are we driven by the same??  Beth goes on further to say that "the troubled child of desperation is obsession" ... again, not really thought of that, but also so true.  There was a lot of obsessing going on throughout Genesis over babies.  It made sense that in light of God's promises that babies would be needed.  But our desperation that leads to obsession often leads us to do some crazy things all in the name of "helping God out" ... and that generally leads to some HUGE problems.

Poor Leah was obsessed with MORE than babies ... she was obsessed with winning her husband's love.  And she used babies as her way of trying to do that.  In today's study we listed out each of Jacob's 12 children along with their names and the commentary/meaning of those names.  Leah gave her first three children names indicative of her misery and desires to be loved.  Finally with the 4th child, Judah, she decided to change which would allow her to say, "I will praise the Lord."

How do WE move from desperation and obsession to praise ... praise in the midst of circumstances we don't understand and needs that may yet be unfulfilled??  praise as a decision in spite of ...??