A spring of water drew Rebecca to Isaac, while a well of water drew Jacob to Rachel. The difference? Prayer. Coming to the spring, Abraham’s servant prayed for the woman meant for Isaac and their meeting at the spring gave the servant God’s confirmation. Arriving in his mother’s land, Jacob met shepherds at a well. He found he was not only in the right place, but his uncle’s daughter was coming with the sheep! As Rachel approached, Jacob took charge of the situation, rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered Rachel’s flock.

Rejoicing over finding his family so quickly, there was no prayer for guidance. He quickly joined the life and work of Laban’s family and soon was offered a job. Just the opportunity Jacob was looking for, for he knew what he wanted! He did not consult the Lord in prayer.

“Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”…So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.” (Genesis 29:16-18, 20)

Because of Laban’s deceit, Jacob found himself married to both Rachel and Leah, but Rachel remained the love of his life.

After years of marriage, Rachel remained barren, while Leah was already the mother of many sons. Anger and jealousy flowed out of Rachel’s heart toward Leah, filling their home life with strife and animosity.

Choosing to leave their father’s home for Jacob’s homeland, Rachel stole several of Laban’s household gods with the hopes the gods would provide protective blessing and fertility in their new home. As Laban pursued the family then frantically searched for his gods, Rachel calmly lied to her father staying on her camel in an effort to keep the stolen gods hidden.

Outer beauty does not always indicate inner beauty flowing from your heart. Rachel was the beauty of her family, but her life was marked by pockets of ugliness. As her life unfolds through Scripture, you wonder what she thought about God. She did believe in God, because she prayed for sons. “Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.” (Genesis 30:22) When Rachel gave birth to Joseph, peace reigned in their home. Still, Rachel carried gods with her to their new home.

Did Rachel ever allow God to walk through life with her and allow Him to change her heart, making her truly beautiful? Scripture doesn’t give us much more on her character. Blessed with a second son, she died in childbirth. While peace came to the house after the birth of Joseph, did peace come to her heart knowing God had provided this second child? She sorrowed in her death giving her son the name Ben-Oni, meaning “son of my sorrow”. If she had lived, would she have given a different name? Would we have seen the beauty of her heart develop because she recognized God was directing her paths?

Sometimes the beauty drawing you to a person is not their outward beauty but the beauty of the heart. This inner beauty is precious in God’s sight. It comes from time spent with Him.

Outer beauty does not make you beautiful. The inner beauty flowing from the heart makes you beautiful. It never fades away. Allow inner beauty to be your focus as you dig into God’s Word and allow the Holy Spirit to change you from the inside out.

“Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” (1 Peter 3:3-4)