God Wastes Nothing
If there is any woman in the Bible who understood disappointment, it was Leah.
Passed over for her more beautiful sister, Leah’s life was marked by feelings of second-choice inadequacy. She thought maybe having children with her husband would make him love her and want to be with her. But with every child came additional feelings of resentment and distance.
The change in her perspective and response between having Levi and Judah is worth noting:
“Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, ‘Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.’ Therefore his name was called Levi. And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, ‘This time I will praise the LORD.’ Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she ceased bearing.” – Genesis 29:35 (ESV)
With Levi, she still had the hope that having children would fix things. Her eyes were still on her situation. But when Judah came, she turned her eyes to the Lord and resolved to praise Him anyway.
Even though her circumstances weren’t changing, Leah praised the Lord.
Even though the end of her pain was nowhere in sight, Leah praised the Lord.
Even though her life had been consumed by disappointment, Leah praised the Lord.
The child she chose to praise the Lord for was Judah, which means “praise” in Hebrew. Judah had children and grandchildren, and they had babies who had babies who had babies.
One of those babies would be our Lord Jesus Christ. He came from the line of Judah.
Leah never got to see how her pain led to something so beautiful, the Savior of the world. She just chose to praise God in her situation, as bleak and hopeless as it was.
Sister, if you, too, are suffering or drowning in pain and disappointment, remember that nothing is wasted in the kingdom of God.
The very God who created you is the One who sustains you each day. What can you praise Him for today?
