God at Work in the Mess

Reading through Genesis 30 and 31 might seem like a crazy peek into ancient life—but really, nothing is new under the sun.

Family conflict, deception, bullying, tyranny, sin, idolatry… just a mess between Jacob and Laban, and of course Leah and Rachel.

Reading these chapters is a stark reminder—especially because we have the full revealed story—that even in this chaos, a tapestry is being woven.

As someone who tends to avoid conflict, sometimes to a fault, I can only imagine the stress and tension going on in all of this.

Yet in the midst of it, God is still present—orchestrating, working, and bringing good out of what seems like sheer madness.

And humbly speaking, part of that “good,” much like the gospel itself, is that it does its work fully. It redeems—but it also condemns. God’s sovereignty remains. We are not robots; there is a real response. Some broken and sinful hearts are redeemed and drawn to the Lord, while others continue in rejection and walk away.

Judgment will be fully just.

And I guess this is a reminder for my own days in this crazy world too—good days, hard days, and the many monotonous days. May I rest joyfully and contentedly, knowing that all things work together for good for those who are called according to His purpose.

Christ, my only hope in life and death.

His,

Matthew