April 5: Leah: Finding Identity in God

 

Theme: Overcoming Rejection and Understanding Your True Worth in God's Eyes

Sharon Campbell-Danvers
Shepherdess CIC

When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up." – Psalm 27:10 (KJV).

When we think of Leah, we often remember her as the girl with weak eyes, the unloved wife, the woman whose father tricked her husband into marrying her. She was married but not chosen the first wife in second place. She had the ring but not the heart. What a painful reality! Can we call her the rejected wife?

She woke up beside a husband who was shocked to see her, a man who had no intention of marrying her. To make things worse, her younger sister, Rachel, was the one Jacob truly loved—his first choice, his only choice. Instead of embracing Leah, Jacob agreed to work another seven years to marry Rachel, adding another layer of rejection to Leah’s pain.

Leah wept in sorrow, longing for the love she would never receive. In her attempt to earn Jacob’s affection, she bore him children, and the names of her sons tell the story of her struggle and transformation:

Reuben (Behold a Son) – A sign of hope that her husband would notice her.

Simeon (Hearing) – A cry for God to hear her pain.

Levi (Joined or Attached) – Her longing for Jacob to become attached to her.

Judah (Praise) – A shift in focus from her husband to God.

Issachar (Reward) – Her recognition that her blessings come from God.

Zebulun (Dwelling or Exalted) – A realization that her true value is in God.

Dinah (Judged or Vindicated) – A final declaration of freedom and acceptance.

Over time, Leah stopped seeking Jacob’s approval and turned her heart fully toward God. She praised instead of wept, she trusted instead of striving, and she found her worth in God rather than in man.

"And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing." – Genesis 29:35 (KJV)

Do you feel like you are in second place in your marriage? Are you facing rejection, pain, or unfulfilled expectations? Is there a Rachel or Leah in your story?

Leah was unloved by man but loved by God. When she shifted her focus from seeking human approval to praising God, she found true fulfillment. Despite being the "unloved wife," Leah was chosen by God to be part of His redemptive plan. Through her son Judah came King David and ultimately Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:2-3).

Leah’s story reminds us that God values the rejected, sees the unnoticed, and fulfills His promises through unexpected people. Despite human disappointments, God has an appointment. His plans prevail, and His love is enough to bring true joy and purpose.

Her patience and perseverance led to her becoming the mother of six of Israel’s twelve tribes—a legacy of strength and endurance.

Prayer: Dear God, many of us have felt the sting of rejection. When those we love turn away from us, You remain faithful. When mother and father friends or spouse forsake us, Lord, You take us up. Thank You for seeing us, for loving us, and for giving us a purpose beyond human approval. Help us to find our identity in You alone, just as Leah did. May we learn to shift our focus from seeking love from others to receiving the perfect love You have already given us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.