Rolling the stone, part I

Genesis 29:2-11 (The Message)

Jacob set out again on his way to the people of the east. He noticed a well out in an open field with three flocks of sheep bedded down around it. This was the common well from which the flocks were watered. The stone over the mouth of the well was huge. When all the flocks were gathered, the shepherds would roll the stone from the well and water the sheep; then they would return the stone, covering the well.
Jacob said, “Hello friends. Where are you from?”

They said, “We’re from Haran.”

Jacob asked, “Do you know Laban son of Nahor?”

“We do.”

“Are things well with him?” Jacob continued.

“Very well,” they said. “And here is his daughter Rachel coming with the flock.”

Jacob said, “There’s a lot of daylight still left; it isn’t time to round up the sheep yet, is it? So why not water the flocks and go back to grazing?”

“We can’t,” they said. “Not until all the shepherds get here. It takes all of us to roll the stone from the well. Not until then can we water the flocks.”

While Jacob was in conversation with them, Rachel came up with her father’s sheep. She was the shepherd. The moment Jacob spotted Rachel, daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, saw her arriving with his uncle Laban’s sheep, he went and single-handedly rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban. Then he kissed Rachel and broke into tears.

Dear Lord,
When Jacob saw Rachel, his heart was so transformed by his love for her, a huge stone proved no barrier to uncovering the well of water. When he served Laban seven years for Rachel, they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.
Oh, that our love for You would prove so passionate–that our love would transform our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh and uncover wells of living water. Oh, that our days would be so filled with adoration that time would loose its grip on our our imaginations. Creator of heaven and earth, of space and time, may we live and move and have our being in You. Amen.
Genesis 29:10, 20, Ezekiel 36:26, Acts 17:28

Psalm 123

Unto you I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens. (Psalm 123:1)
      Father, we look to you.

Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until he has mercy on us. (Psalm 123:2)
      Jesus, we are your servants and we look to you. You have called us friends and we are awed by that. Please help us keep looking to you; thank you for your mercy on us.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt. (Psalm 123:3)
      Holy Spirit, the proud hold us in contempt; help us keep looking to you. Fill our minds with your truth.

Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorn of those who are at ease, with the contempt of the proud. (Psalm 123:4)
      LORD, if it had not been for you who have been at our side when men rose up against your faithful people, they would have swallowed us alive when their wrath was kindled against us; we would have been overwhelmed. But blessed are you, O LORD our God who has not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowler. Our help is in you, O LORD, who has made heaven and earth. (From Psalm 124)

      A word received: Pray that I will raise up faithful witnesses throughout my church. Pray for my people that they will have a heart to go out into the harvest fields.

Tuesday: [120], 121, 122, 123; 2 Samuel 18:9-18; Acts 23:12-24; Mark 11:27-12:12
Wednesday: 119:145-176; 2 Samuel 18:19-23; Acts 23:23-35; Mark 12:13-27

Albany Intercessor