When some ministers urged Abraham Lincoln to free all slaves, he responded, "It is my earnest desire to know the will of Providence in this matter. And if I can learn what it is, I will do it...I suppose I am not to expect a direct revelation; I must study the...facts of the case...and learn what appears to be wise and right."
The faithfulness of Abraham's servant and the providence of God had brought him to Rebekah. Then her brother Laban welcomed him into his home. But the servant would not eat until he disclosed his mission, which he rehearsed in full, including his prayer and encounter with Rebekah at the spring. Laban and his father immediately recognized the providential hand of God in the matter: "This is from the Lord; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master's son, as the Lord has directed" (Gen 24:50-51).
Abraham's servant, Rebekah, her family all appear in the story as persons who are committed to doing the will of God. In their case God made His will known through His providential workings in answer to the faith and prayer of Abraham's servant.
What about us? We too need to be committed to knowing and doing God's will. Prayer, common sense, and providence are avenues God uses to guide us. Besides these, we now have a resource that those in this story did not have - the complete Word of God, the Bible. As we obey His will as revealed in the Bible, we can experience His guidance.
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