“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
— 1 Samuel 16:7
All her life, Leah lived in the shadow of her younger sister, Rachel. Rachel was pretty. Leah was plain and had weak eyes — and no glasses. She also had a father, Laban, who was a selfish and tricky man.
One day, Jacob, the son of Isaac, showed up at Laban’s well. When he saw Rachel, he fell madly in love with her. “I’ll work for you for seven years in return for your younger daughter, Rachel,” he told Laban.
Laban agreed, and seven years later he hosted a big wedding feast. But that night Laban tricked Jacob and made him marry Leah instead. Jacob had to work another seven years for Laban before he could also marry Rachel, the woman he really loved.
The Bible says Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. Leah had been forced to marry a man who pushed her aside for her pretty little sister. Leah must’ve felt inferior, unwanted, and jealous. She thought that maybe if she gave birth to many sons, Jacob would love her. But Jacob still loved Rachel best.
Finally, Leah gave birth to her fourth son and named him Judah, meaning “praised.” She decided she was done trying to earn Jacob’s affection. She was going to praise the Lord instead. Leah had been manipulated by her father and upstaged by her sister. But Leah didn’t choose bitterness. Instead she was thankful for her children. With each son God gave Leah, she grew in inner beauty. And in the end, God chose for his son Jesus to be born from the line of Leah, not Rachel.
Like Leah, you may compete with someone in your life. Maybe it’s a sibling, cousin, or friend. Do you sometimes feel jealous of other girls and the attention they get? Remember, God loves you because you’re you. No one else’s approval is more important.
More to Explore: Lamentations 3:24 and Proverbs 27:4
Girl Talk: Have you ever felt jealous of a friend or a sibling? How did that affect your friendship?
God Talk: “Lord God, I’m so glad you love me for who I am. That’s what matters most. Help me not to compare myself to the people around me or be jealous of other girls I meet. Amen.”
From Real Girls of the Bible by Mona Hodgson