Gen 30:25ff, « As soon as Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my own home and country… 31 He said, "What shall I give you?" Jacob said, "You shall not give me anything. If you will do this for me, I will again pasture your flock and keep it: 32 let me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep and every black lamb, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and they shall be my wages… 34 Laban said, "Good! Let it be as you have said." 35 But that day Laban removed the male goats that were striped and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white on it, and every lamb that was black, and put them in the charge of his sons. 36 And he set a distance of three days' journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob pastured the rest of Laban's flock. 37 Then Jacob took fresh sticks of poplar and almond and plane trees, and peeled white streaks in them, exposing the white of the sticks. 38 He set the sticks that he had peeled in front of the flocks in the troughs, that is, the watering places, where the flocks came to drink. And since they bred when they came to drink, 39 the flocks bred in front of the sticks and so the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted. 40 And Jacob separated the lambs and set the faces of the flocks toward the striped and all the black in the flock of Laban. He put his own droves apart and did not put them with Laban's flock. 41 Whenever the stronger of the flock were breeding, Jacob would lay the sticks in the troughs before the eyes of the flock, that they might breed among the sticks… 43 Thus the man increased greatly and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.”
To build his herd up, Jacob used a trick: branches on which he had laid bare the white beneath the bark in streaks. He then took those sticks and set them in the troughs so that the flocks would constantly have them before their eyes when drinking or breeding and thus bring forth striped, speckled and spotted sheep. I could have written an article on the power of prophetic acts; but it is not today’s topic. According to the customs or superstitions of Jacob’s days, whatever had made a strong impression on the mind of a female at the time of conception and gestation, would have a corresponding influence on the mind or body of the fetus and coincidentally, this was frequently noticed in the case of sheep.
Even though this has not been scientifically proven, the fact remains that mere sheep, animals that have not received the Spirit of God as we have, were able to give birth to that which they had been fixing their eyes upon. What are you looking at?
If God has made you some promises, you can consider yourself pregnant with the Word of the Lord. During the time of this “pregnancy”, what are you beholding? Do you realise that whatever you are focusing on will have a profound impact on what you will give birth to?
Before the pregnancy, at the time of the conception, whenever you are about to receive the Word of God that will become flesh in you; what do you look at?
Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint; or, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Prov 29:18, ESV/KJV). When we behold the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image (2Cor 3:18): vision is powerful. That's why we are exhorted to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. What have you fixed your eyes on? What are you gazing at?
Jesus said: “The Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing…” (Jn 5:19-20). What do you see Jesus do? You can do likewise for He will show you how to.
After talking to Abraham, God told him: Lift up your eyes and see… Lift up your eyes like him and see your seed multiply and fill the earth.
Fix your eyes on Jesus walking on water like Peter and also walk on water.
Fix your eyes on Jesus healing the sick and you will do the same.
Focus on Him as He multiplies the loaves and the fish or as He finds money in the belly of a fish and you will never lack of provision.
Don’t lose sight of Him as He casts out demons and destroys the works of the devil; and you will happily trample on all the power of the enemy as well.
See Him alleviating human misery and you will understand that you too have all the necessary resources to do like Him and relieve suffering around you.
The vision of God has the power to bring forth your future. What do you see? What are you looking at? Don’t be distracted by things that can only bear nothingness. Open your eyes; look up and fix your eyes on Jesus.
Have a “wonderblessed” week!
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