Today, I want to look again at the story of Jacob and Laban as we continue to examine the power of the Lord’s favor in our lives. Since his father-in-law begged him to stay rather than returning to Israel, Jacob agreed to go on tending Laban’s flocks, but he told him that he needed to earn a wage. Laban was agreeable to this, and He invited the young man to name his price. Rather than make it complicated, Jacob simply asked to be given every sheep or goat that had specks or spots and every dark-colored lamb. Interestingly, the flocks that Laban owned would have been primarily Awassi fat-tail sheep, and they were typically white in color with dark heads. Out of hundreds of them, there may have been one or two with irregular markings, but not enough to constitute any significant wealth…or at least that’s what Laban thought. He figured he was getting the “sweet end” of the deal, but somehow Jacob kept getting ahead. Although his father-in-law changed the terms of their agreement ten times, the Lord continued prospering his son-in-law, and the animals were consistently born looking the way they were supposed to to favor Jacob’s part of the contract. Ultimately, though Laban kept trying to manipulate the outcome, Jacob ended up with the greater share of the livestock and became very wealthy.

My friend, nothing can outwit the Lord’s favor. While the forces of darkness are moving through people to spin and manipulate for their own gain, there is no stopping the goodness of God! No matter how trapped or surrounded you feel, your Savior is working to deliver you, and He uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. As you consistently put your hand to the plow and do the next right thing, Jesus will meet you with divine protection, provision and power that are great enough to throw even your most formidable foe into a tizzy. You are surrounded on all sides by His grace, and He is using your faith to overcome evil while proving to everyone you encounter that He is Lord!