A Beautiful Love Story

Falling in love is a remarkable phenomenon! And yes, I’m speaking from experience! However, the chemistry of love can be full of uncertainties considering how pure love has been tainted by the world’s lust. People tend to mistaken lust for love which always bears regrettable consequences. Fortunately; as followers of Christ we need not fall in the same trap given the Word of God. God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path; including our love stories.


 The story of Rebekah and Isaac in Genesis 24 portrays the most beautiful love story ever written, one devoid of feelings but abounding in God’s guidance.  Abraham who was well advanced in years wanted his servant to find a wife for his son Isaac. Abraham made the servant swear by God’s name that he would not get a wife out of his country and relatives. This shows how Abraham did not want Isaac to be unequally yoked with the different tribe of Canaan. Differences are part of our lives and they tend to make interpersonal relationships exciting, however differences in spiritual beliefs for Christians should not be compromised. Paul said, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” (2Corinthians6:14).  Our Christian brothers and sisters are our family; regardless of their race, class; country and family of origin. When we become born again we are all part of God’s family and are free to marry amongst ourselves. It is not wise to commit to marrying one who is not part of your family (not born again), and that’s the first thing Abraham ensured that his servant understood.

 The servant journeyed to find a wife for Isaac. On his journey he prayed, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.”(Genesis 24:12). He asked for a specific sign from God that revealed that the woman he chose was Isaac’s wife. Now, we should not be foolish in this matter of signs. Though God is the same today as yesterday, He however writes our love stories in different ways. What should capture our mind here is the trust and hope that the servant had that prompted him to ask God for guidance. Choosing a life partner is not a matter of chance or causality it’s a matter of intentional prayer. God has from the beginning of the foundations been a perfect match maker; he brought Adam and Eve together, and we should trust him to do the same for us. Our prayers reveal that we rely on Him to do so and He will not disappoint us. As the psalmist said, “No one whose hope is in You Lord will ever be put to shame” (Psalm25:3).

When the specific sign was fulfilled, without Rebekah’s knowledge (which was the woman chosen as Isaac’s wife); the bible says that without saying a word, the servant watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful( Genesis24:21). This is where most of us commit many mistakes. What begins right may not end up in the same manner if not properly guided. The servant was wise enough to observe the woman. We don’t know what the Servant observed from Rebekah but when choosing a life partner we should observe important qualities such as the respect they have for God and for others, their mannerism, and their attitudes. We could observe how they handle challenges and success, their view of money, their view of Church and spiritual things. These are the important things. You don’t marry looks, a hot body, or the clothes that a person wears; you marry what the person is inside. Proverbs 27: 9 says, “As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man”. Do not be swayed away by the outward appearance look into the heart of a man. And how would you know his heart? By the words he speaks because out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

After the servant had told Rebekah how the Lord led him to her she ran to her family and told them about these things! Aha! The significance of being open about your relationship! When you make a decision and you perceive a future with someone there’ll be no need to keep your relationship a secret because frankly, many people end up falling in sexual sin in relationships because they keep their relationships a secret. The importance of being open to your family and church family about your relationship cannot be emphasized enough. We are human beings, we make mistakes, we feel some type of ways at times but being able to share our burden with others is liberating. I have told my family and friends, cell members, and church leader about the man I see myself building with. They have all given me constructive criticism, sound judgement, and encouragement. This helps me stay accountable and in the right track. Many a times when we keep our relationships a secret, we give the devil a foothold to isolate us from people who can see what we are so blindly to- they can help us in making wise decisions considering the person we want to marry.

  When Rebekah’s family heard all about this they said, “This is from the Lord, we can say nothing to you one way or the other…” (Genesis24:50). When a relationship is ordained by the Lord no one can prevent it even those whose opinions matter so much to us such as our family. I doubt there’s ever a contradiction between what the Lord purposes for a man and a woman and those around them. People will genuinely see that this relationship is truly from the Lord, and they will confirm it. However, when we look at some marriages we can see that people were fuelled by their own desires though they claim to have been led by the Lord. The fruit never lies.

“So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death”.

I hope as you read this chapter you will also see the beauty of a God ordained union. One not led by hormones or uncontrollable desires, but one led by prayer and God’s guidance every step of the way. Before I read the story of Isaac and Rebekah, I was filled by my own lustful desires for my future partner. He’s so attractive spiritually and intellectually so inevitably, I would imagine the days we become physical. It’s not easy to control our thoughts or attitudes; only by the Word of God can we renew our minds. I’m so thankful for the Word of God and for His Spirit who always leads me even though my heart is inclined towards evil. May we wait upon God and dwell in His purity; and give Him the pen to write our love stories.