An Impossible Task

Abraham’s servant was given a task that seemed impossible…

Imagine being sent on a journey to a place several miles away to ask a family to hand over their daughter as a wife to a man she has never seen! Talk about an impossible task! This is what Abraham sent his trusted servant to do – to find a wife for Isaac. In Genesis 24, Abraham instructed his servant to go back to his homeland to find a wife for Isaac from his relatives. You can imagine how the servant felt when he heard this. What if there was no girl to bring back? What if the girl refused to return with him? What if something happened to the convoy along the way? At some point, he even asked Abraham if taking Isaac there was an option. Here is Abraham’s response…

Genesis 24:6 ‘“Make sure that you do not take my son back there,” Abraham said.’ (NIV)

The servant had no choice. He had to make the trip.

God sometimes gives us tasks to do that may seem impossible. Tasks that do not make sense to us or those around us. Tasks that are completely out of the ordinary.

What can we learn from how the servant handled this seemingly impossible task?

He followed the instructions he was given

Abraham gave his servant specific instructions on where to find a wife for Isaac. He also specifically said that it was the servant’s job to find the wife, not Isaac’s job. The servant could easily have decided to take a short cut and pick up a wife from any of the communities that he met on the way, but he didn’t. This servant followed Abraham’s instructions to the letter.

Also, Abraham indicated that if the servant followed these instructions, the Lord would send His angel to go before him. What a wonderful promise this was! The servant did not need to worry about being alone on the journey as he knew that the Lord’s angel would be there to lead and guide him.

Think about a task that the Lord has given you to do. Are you ready to follow His instructions? Did you know that He does not just give you instructions, but He also promises to be with you as you carry out this task? I am so encouraged to know that when the Lord gives me something to do, He will instruct me and guide me. He will not leave me to grope in the dark.

Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” (NKJV)

He prayed

The servant and his convoy made the long journey to Nahor, and just as they got to the outskirts of the town, he decided to have the camels kneel at a well. Why did he stop there? To pray.

Genesis 24:12-14 ‘“Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”’ (NIV)

What amazes me about this prayer is how specific it was. The servant knew that there was a task to be accomplished, and what he needed to succeed. First, he acknowledged the Lord as God of his master Abraham. He had most likely seen Abraham pray to the Lord and receive answers over the years, and he, therefore, knew that calling on God would work in his favor.

Secondly, the servant asked the Lord to show kindness to his master Abraham by making him successful in his mission. In other words, it was not about the servant succeeding and being praised for doing a good job. It was about Abraham’s wish being fulfilled because this wish was in line with God’s promise for his descendants.

Thirdly, he asked the Lord to work out the whole ‘search’ so that he would know exactly which woman would be Isaac’s wife. In other words, he wanted to know who God’s choice for Isaac was. The servant wanted God’s will for Isaac to be fulfilled.

Is it a surprise that all these prayers were answered? No, it’s not, because they were related to God’s plan for Abraham’s descendants. The answer was part of the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham.

My question to all of us is, do we remember to pray when given an impossible task? How do we pray – for it to be over and done with, or for God’s purposes to be fulfilled through it? Do we pray for guidance on how to accomplish the task? Do we remember to ask God to work things out according to His will?

When God gives you a task, remember it is not about you, but about Him and His glory. God knows how and why He wants you to perform the task. He’s the only one who can guide you as you carry it out, and enable you to complete it. Pray.

Stay focused

Just as he finished praying, the servant saw a beautiful young woman approaching the well, and he rushed to her to ask for a drink of water. To his great delight and surprise, she offered him a drink and then offered to water his camels as well! This was definitely the girl for Isaac – an immediate answer to his prayers! Later, the girl’s brother invited the servant to their home, where he told them why he came, and how the Lord answered his prayers. The girl’s family then agreed to hand over their daughter Rebekah for marriage, after which the servant then spent the night there, intending to leave the next morning.

Morning came, and Rebekah’s family insisted that she stays on for another ten days.

Ten days of celebration, rest, relaxation, and being waited on hand and foot. Sounds quite tempting, especially for a servant, right?

The servant however knew what he had been sent to do. He had accomplished half of his mission. He still had to take Rebekah to Isaac. He could not afford to lose focus.

Thankfully, Rebekah also agreed to leave immediately. At this point, the servant could not afford to divert his attention to anything else until the task was completed, because the Lord was with him and had so far shown His abundant blessings on the journey.

What would I have done? Would I have taken up the offer to stay on, or would I have insisted on going back to my master?

Think about it – a long, tiring trip lay ahead, and the fatigue of the previous day was still in the servant’s bones. Remember, also, that he would be going back to work, because he was a servant!

I am challenged by the way this man stayed focused. He was ready to stick it out until he finished the task. He was all set to do whatever was needed to deliver Rebekah to Isaac. He was not ready to let his personal desires or comforts get in the way.

When an impossible task gets more challenging as you progress, do you give up, or do you stick it out to the end? More importantly, what does God expect of us? Does He expect us to give up or lose focus when things become difficult?

Following instructions. Praying. Staying focused. That’s how we deal with impossible tasks. Lastly, always remember that God will not give you a task that you cannot handle, and that He will walk with you as you carry it out.

 

Prayer: Lord, give me the strength and grace that I need to carry out and accomplish the tasks that You give me. Help me to follow the instructions in Your Word, to seek Your face in prayer, and to stay focused on You all through. Please walk with me as I carry out whatever task you have for me today. Amen.

 

 

Hi everyone! Thanks for reading today’s article. I hope you were encouraged and challenged as you read through. I would love to hear your views on ‘impossible tasks’. Would you please share them in the comments section? Have a great week ahead!