Engagement of Wouter Vermaak & Elizabeth Stegen
How shall I know that something is the will of God?
There are three greatly beloved men in the Bible: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Bible says that people will come from the east and west to sit at the heavenly tables with them. To be there one day is a greater treasure than anything this world can offer. Let’s consider these heroes of the Bible and take after them.
Genesis 24
12 Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. 14 May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”
15 Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. 16 The woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.
17 The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.” 18 “Drink, my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink. 19 After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have had enough to drink.”
Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah, when they were well-advanced in years. By the time Abraham sought a wife for Isaac, Sarah had already passed away.
Abraham feared God and did not want the world to enter into his house. So he called his chief servant and made him swear that he would not take a wife for Isaac from the Canaanites, but go to his own family and fetch a wife from there.
How was this servant to know who the right wife would be? There were so many possibilities. Without God it was impossible. But with God it was easy. This matter is very important. If a young man makes a mistake concerning his marriage partner, it will bring him grief for the rest of his life.
A certain young man from France, who had believing parents, told them he wanted to get engaged to a certain worldly girl. They asked him whether he was sure she was the right person for him, considering her way of life and conduct. He turned his back on his parents and went through with it anyway. (Sometimes young men are prepared even to turn their backs on God for a girl.) While on honeymoon, or soon afterwards, they were involved in a terrible car accident and he was paralysed from the neck down. The girl came to the hospital the following day and told him that because of his paralysis, she was unwilling to spend the rest of her life with him. He was devastated. Yet his parents had compassion on him and took him in and nursed him. It’s over 30 years now that he’s been paralysed, and his mother says that he’s still going through terrible mental anguish. His father has since passed away, and his mother nursed him until she became too old. Now he is cared for in a nursing home.
Abraham is the father of all believers. He is our spiritual father, and he was this servant’s spiritual father too. This servant knew God. He worked with Abraham who walked with God and taught him how to know God. To have worked together with Abraham was a better Bible School than any theological seminary.
So the servant took the camels and jewels and things necessary for the journey and came to the place of his master’s brethren. There are many ways to choose a girl, but the best way is the way Abraham’s servant chose. He knew his master had prayed and was lead of God; so he did the same.
He prayed in his heart that God would prosper his way and show kindness to Abraham his master, and lead him to the right girl. Before he had done praying some girls arrived at the well. He asked for a sign. He prayed that the girl he would ask for a drink of water, if she offered to draw water for his camels too, that she would be the chosen one.
Then Rebecca arrived and he asked her for a drink. She then offered to draw water for his camels too. He carefully observed her to see whether she was indeed the right one. One camel can drink over 100 litres, yet she drew water for all his camels. She may have given up halfway; like many people who pray about a matter, but grow tired and give up.
Do you walk with God, like your spiritual fathers, Enoch and Abraham did? This is the only and best way; you will never regret it. Even if you’re married, start with this life today. Kneel and pray for God’s will with all your heart. Walking with God is a foretaste of heaven, but following your own wisdom is a foretaste of hell.
May you never become the biggest fool in this world by choosing your own ways above God’s ways, but be willing always to bow to His will.