Eliezer
Abraham, the chief of the patriarchs, was served by his chief of servants, Eliezer. Having proven himself faithful as a steward managing Abraham’s household in other matters, he is entrusted with an even weightier responsibility: locating and bringing home a woman to be the wife of Isaac (Gen 24:1-9). The stakes of this mission are unmistakeably high and Eliezer humbly accepts. What follows is a detailed account of exactly how this servant meticulously obeyed his master, in obedience to his master’s God (Gen 24:12, 27). His mission wasn’t logistical, it was thoroughly spiritual, and he passed the test, not only benefitting Abraham and Isaac, but also eternally benefitting us by helping to bring into this world the promised Seed, Jesus Christ.
If you ever catch yourself wondering why God hasn’t given you opportunities to serve Him that He has given others, ask yourself: Have I proven faithful as God’s steward in other areas of my life?
What are your God-given responsibilities to your family, church, friends, and school? What is your mission in this youth camp? How are you prayerfully serving the Lord as a faithful steward just like Eliezer? Who knows the good that will come from you humbly doing your part?
Joseph
Joseph was a man entrusted with many responsibilities. In Canaan, he tended to his brothers as well as his father’s sheep. In Egypt, he managed Potiphar’s household with integrity and purity, refusing temptation. In prison, he humbly cared for the needs of his fellow prisoners. In the presence of Pharaoh, he fearlessly interpreted dreams and proposed a solution to impending famine. As governor of the land, he wisely managed her resources, offsetting the harshest of trials to come for both Egypt’s citizens and the surrounding nations. Even as a betrayed sibling, he facilitated what others might have considered a near-impossible reconciliation with his estranged brothers.
While his life circumstances seem to have been ever shifting, one thing remained constant: Joseph’s determination to cheerfully and faithfully undertake the task in front of him, knowing that it came from the hand of the Lord.
Are you marked by the same pattern of patient, selfless, God-centred service wherever God puts you?