Jacob, you came here for pleasure, you came here for love, you came here for passion. You came here for her, you came for Rachel.

But it’s not just about Rachel, because your Lord Laban also requires service for Leah. Because it’s not just about pleasure, but it’s also the purpose.

Because when we come into service for our Lord, it’s not just about Rachel, and it’s not just about Leah. It is not just what we do in passionate, pleasurable service, but it’s also about what we do that is purposeful service, dutiful service.

Rachel and Leah are one package, and they come together hand in hand.

Friend, if you desire your Rachel, well, first will come Leah. You cannot have that passionate love that speaks to your soul kind of service, that passion for the ministry that God has placed in your heart.

You can’t have Rachel without Leah. And Leah is going to look totally different. Leah is not going to look like Rachel. Rachel comes and she’s beautiful and she will be beautiful. But first here comes Leah. And let’s be honest, you’re not going to be overjoyed about Leah.

Heck, you might even wake up and say, what? What have I got myself into? Because Leah.. Leah’s ministry isn’t where your heart strings are being pulled to. Leah is not your Rachel. And yet God, your Lord, allows these things to come to you hand in hand.

First is coming Leah. Work for Leah. Be a good husband to Leah. Be a good steward of her and after the bridal week your Lord will give you the next one. Duty before the passion.

The dutiful service, the dutiful ministry. Please don’t think that you can come in and it’s going to just all be about what you’re passionate about and what you want. Because your Lord comes and your Lord says, here is Leah, be good to Leah, step up and be a good husband, step up and be a good steward.

Do not lack in your duty of Leah. Seven years plus seven years, noticing how not one is more than the other here. But God’s saying, step up into the place of necessity and duty.

Step up, because I’ve called you to step up. Step up, because if you think that you’ve got your sights on that sister over there, on that sister, Rachel, Rachel’s second born. No, here’s the first born, here is the first one. And hers is a service that doesn’t necessarily bring a smile to your face.

Hers is a ministry that can look so vastly different than the one that you’re heading to. Two polar opposites. It’s one package. Seven years plus seven years. The grand total of fourteen.

Purpose, then pleasure.

Father God, I just thank you that you give us the opportunities to serve in ways that we really don’t even want to serve, but I still thank you for those opportunities. I thank you. I thank you because you are doing something wonderful in the midst of the ministry of Leah. I get it. I’m not passionate about it. It doesn’t excite me.

Those eyes don’t twinkle. But that’s okay. Find us dutiful husbands to the service of Leah. Faithful husbands that on completion of Leah’s service, will be allowed the opportunity to come and minister and partner in something that we are passionate about and that thrills us to see, a sight for sore eyes.

And I’m excited. I’m excited and even in the midst of my Leah, even in the midst of doing things that I don’t want to do, I thank you.

Because you will teach me through the purpose and allow me to partner in the pleasure. I thank you my lord because you are good. Good are your ways. Ways that I may never understand but good are your ways. Bring on Leah. Bring on Leah. Because I’ve got my eyes set on Rachel.

And I know where it’s heading. I know where I’m going. I know what I’m working towards. I know what my eyes are fixated on. What a passionate ministry I dream of.

But I’m here to serve. You’re here to serve and Leah’s ministry first.

Genesis 29:26-30

26Laban replied, ‘It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the elder one. 27Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.’ 28And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29Laban gave his servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her attendant. 30Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.

It is not our custom here for you to take take the position you desire, but there is a calling to first fulfill the position that no one desires, one no one will take.

Take Leah and Rachel will follow.

Verse 30, Jacob made love ALSO to Leah. But his love for Rachel was GREATER than his love for Leah.

Somewhere along the way, he also grew to love Leah.

Somewhere along the way you might just begin to love the lowly position too.