Ever watched one of those perfectly curated family photo shoots on Instagram?
Everyone’s smiling in golden-hour lighting, the kids are dressed in matching neutrals, and the caption reads something like, “So thankful for these blessings!”
But what the photo doesn’t show is the chaos before the camera clicked—the toddler’s meltdown, the fight in the car, the deep exhaustion just beneath the surface. Real families are rarely as perfect as they appear. Behind every highlight reel, there’s usually a story of struggle.
That’s exactly what we find in today’s passage, Genesis 25:19–28. Let’s read it.
19 This is the account of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac.
Genesis 25:19-28, New International Version
Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean.
21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.
23 The Lord said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you will be separated;
one people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.”
24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. 26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.
27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. 28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
On the surface, it’s a story about the next generation of God’s promise. Isaac and Rebekah, the miracle couple, finally have children. But behind the scenes, there’s tension. They faced years of infertility and a painful pregnancy. Their family is divided, with two very different sons born into rivalry.
Genesis 25:19–28 is packed with tension, hope, and mystery. It begins with a seemingly familiar problem in the story of God’s people—infertility. But it moves swiftly into a divine revelation, a family struggle, and a prophetic glimpse into the future of two nations.
Isaac, the promised son of Abraham, marries Rebekah at age 40. But like Sarah before her, Rebekah can’t conceive. For 20 years, Isaac waits. He pleads with the Lord. Finally, the Lord answers. But all isn’t well. The children within her struggle violently, and she seeks the Lord.
At the heart of this passage is a simple, powerful truth: God often works His greatest plans through our messiest places.
Just like Rebekah, you may feel the difficulty, confusion, or even pain growing where you expected joy. Maybe it’s a job that turned stressful, a dream that’s delayed, or a relationship that’s become strained. You ask, “Why is this happening if it’s from God?”
And just like Rebekah, we must take our questions to the Lord. While we often seek comfort, the Lord desires that we be close to Him. The Lord isn’t looking for perfect families. Instead, He’s looking for people who will trust Him.
So don’t lose heart. Our Lord is writing His story in ours. He’s working even in the messy, ordinary details of our lives.
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