I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. (Psalm 73:23)
Rachel went into labor as she staggered towards Bethlehem. So intense was the labor that it would clearly cost her her life.
Knowing this to be the case, she used her last breath to ensure that her pain would be remembered, and that her son would one day know and understand the depth of grief that he caused his mother on the day that he was born: Benoni; son of my sorrow was the name that she bestowed upon him . . . and then breathed her last.
Jacob was handed the young child and informed that his wife had named him Benoni. Jacob’s response was to bestow a new name upon him; a name that would create a much different experience for the young boy on the day that his understanding catches up with his identity. Benjamin; son of my right hand.
Jacob would not allow his son to be marked as the cause of his mother’s sorrow. Instead he determined that he would be known as the object of his father’s favor.
Its interesting to note the relative peace and tranquility that surrounded the life of Benjamin. So much chaos happens amongst his brothers, yet he seems to be disconnected from it . . . somehow spared from being a participant in the family drama. Benjamin is the beloved, and as the beloved, he rests secure in his father, for he shields him all the day long. Therefore, he rests between his father’s shoulders.
Favor is funny like that; it’ll shield you from the family drama . . . the drama that transpires in the workplace, in the halls of learning, in the political scene, in the neighborhood. Favor is like kryptonite to drama; drama cannot survive in its presence.
I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You keep me in your favor, and your favor is like a shield that protects me from drama.
Come out of that drama today and let God’s favor sanctify you. As you meditate on this verse, come back to your place of peace. Remember that whatever you are going through is under your feet; you’ve already got the victory over it. Act like it, and you’ll see that victory manifest shortly.
