Scripture Reading: Gen 29:31
And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.

Reflections: It was time for Laban to fulfill his promise of giving Rachel his daughter to Jacob to marry. Using a deceptive tactic, he succeeded in giving Leah, the elder sister of Rachel, rather to him. This infuriated Jacob but he had no choice since the marriage deal had been sealed. As a result, he developed a level of hatred for Leah. This hatred lingered on even after he married Rachel seven years after. However God came to the rescue of Leah with a special arrangement. He made Rachel barren while he ensured that Leah remained fruitful. By the time Leah gave birth to his fourth child, Judah, the hatred that Jacob had for her had fizzled out. Now she was loved too. Hatred or hate is an ‘emotion often associated with feelings of anger, disgust and a disposition towards the source of hostility’. It is so unpleasant to be hated. It can lead to an emotional imbalance state affecting all you do. Like Leah, you can become a source of hostility too, but God will surely come to your rescue. By a divine arrangement, the hatred against your life will be over.

Prayer: Oh Lord deliver me from any form of hatred that surrounds my life.

Confession: The power and presence of hatred around me cannot prevail. it is broken by a divine arrangement.