Who Am I in God's Eyes? Identity Lessons from Leah

A profound transformation occurs. We are no longer bound by our old nature, but are given a new one. This transformation, this new identity in Christ, is a source of hope and inspiration in our Christian journey. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are transformed from our old nature and given a new one. We are united with Christ and accept His way of life. This is our identity as Christians. How does knowing this help us?

We can take comfort in the fact that Jesus loves us unconditionally. His love is not based on our performance, but on His grace and mercy. This assurance of His unwavering love is a source of security and value in our lives. He does not leave us because we are not perfect.
He has a plan for our lives.
He gives us a purpose for living.

We will examine the story of Leah in the Bible, who found her identity in Christ.

Leah–I Am Loved by God, Even When Others Don’t

Who is Leah?

Leah, the determined eldest daughter of Laban, Jacob’s uncle and boss, is a figure of courage. Her younger sister is Rachael. Leah, despite being the first wife of Jacob due to her father’s trickery (Genesis 29:15-30), and not his first choice, showed remarkable determination. Jacob’s first choice was Rachael, for whom he had worked for 7 years. He worked another 7 years for Leah. She struggled to gain her husband’s love, but her determination is truly courageous.

The Lord Comforts Leah

Genesis 29:31 NIV “When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless.”

The Lord knew how hurt Leah was by her husband’s rejection, so He opened Leah’s womb for her to conceive. She was hoping for Jacob to love her because of the child she had borne him. She named him Reuben.

Leah had three more sons: Simeon, Levi, and Judah. She then stopped having children for a period.

When you feel rejected, go to the Lord for His love and support. He can transform your feelings into joy.

Competition Between Sisters

Rachael became jealous because she was barren and Leah had four sons.

Genesis 30:3 NIV “Then she said, “Here is Bilhah, my servant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me, and I too can build a family through her.”

This was not unusual at the time for a woman to have her servant bear children on her behalf. Bilhah was successful and bore Jacob a son, whom Rachel named Dan. She felt vindicated by the Lord because He had blessed her with a son.

Genesis 30:7 NIV “Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.Then Rachel said, ‘I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.’ So she named him Naphtali.”

Through their competition, Leah had two more sons by her servant, Zilpah, and conceived two more herself, a total of eight sons and one daughter. Rachael had four, two by her servant and two herself.

The Lord gave Leah many children to help offset the lack of love her husband showed her. He knew what would give her joy.

What can we learn from Leah’s story?

The Lord was aware of Leah and her feelings.

Genesis 29:31 NIV “When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless.”

Do you feel like you are overlooked? Leah didn’t just think it, it was true. She depended on the Lord to help her. God is aware of how you feel. He will help you too.

Leah was honored to have Jacob’s first son.

Having children at this time was very important to the family unit. Having the first son was considered an honor, especially in this case, where there was more than one wife.

Some feel God is not interested in details. We see in Leah’s case that it’s not true. He wants to be a part of all our lives. Go to Him will everything that’s on your mind. He wants to hear it.

She was thankful to the Lord and gave Him credit for her children.

Genesis 29:32 NIV “Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery.”

Leah knew the Lord had seen how miserable she was because of her husband’s rejection. The blessing of her son came from the Lord, and she thanked Him for it.

God is not too big to understand how we feel. Jesus walked the earth and was rejected numerous times; He has empathy for us.

Leah was resilient.

Each time Leah became pregnant, she was hopeful for attention and love from Jacob. She was disappointed every time, but continued to try. She gained her strength from the Lord and His love for her.

Do you feel defeated when you are rejected or ignored? Remember that the Lord loved Leah and took away the feeling of rejection, giving her the gift of joy through her children.

Her sons played a significant role in Israel’s history.

Each of Jacob’s sons became the head of one of the tribes of Israel, playing a significant role in the nation’s history. Eight of these were Leah’s sons.

Although Judah (Leah’s son) was fourth in line, he ended up inheriting the eldest’s position. King David, King Solomon, and Jesus Christ were all from the tribe of Judah.

The Lord takes bad situations and turns them into blessings. Through the trials of Leah came Jesus Christ. Trust Him to make your situation better.

Leah’s identity was in Jesus Christ

Her husband continually rejected Leah. But each time, she became more resilient and placed her identity in God. Why do you think this is?

When someone is there for you, you learn where to go for your needs. God is willing to be there for you every time. You can place your identity in Him.

Conclusion

When we place our identity in Jesus Christ, the emotional ups and downs of our lives become more stable. We are more secure in who we are because we know who is there for us.

We no longer need to hunt a purpose for our lives. God shows us in His Word many paths to fulfilling His purpose of sharing with others what Jesus Christ did for us.

God has a plan for our lives. Reading His Word and staying in communication with Him through prayer will reveal that plan.

Remember:

Jesus Christ loves you unconditionally.
He gives you purpose.
He has a plan for your life.