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Genesis 24:58

⁵⁸And they called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "I will go."

In Western culture, we don't think much of arranged marriages, but much of the world still has that custom. Abraham had sent his servant to find a bride for Isaac. The servant asked God to reveal who it was by having her come to the well and offer to draw water for him and the camels. He had men with him who could have drawn the water, and camels do drink a lot of water, so this was a pretty demanding sign. Rebecca did just that, and she was a relative. The servant knew this was the woman.

Then he went to her parents and told them what had just happened. They realized it was of the LORD and were willing to send her to Isaac as a bride, but they wanted her to stay ten days so they could say goodbye. The servant was eager to return and asked to go the next day. Imagine your child engaged and leaving all in one day, never to see her again. Her parents gave Rebecca the choice, and she decided to go that next morning.

This is a picture of our betrothal with Christ. The Holy Spirit invites us to be His bride by receiving salvation. When we accept, we often are drawn by the world, relationships, and our old passions and pleasures. To leave it all behind and go to a place we've never been before and start a whole new life seems too extreme, but that is what the Spirit calls us to do. In Christ, the old is gone and the new has come. (2Corinthians 5:17). We say goodbye to our old world and enter a new life with Him.

Consider: The question is for all who would come to Jesus: Will you follow the Holy Spirit to an all-consuming relationship with Jesus? Are you still saying goodbye on an extended departure, or have you, like Rebecca, said, "I will go!"?