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  document.writeln("<span class=\"body\"><b><span class=\"headings2\"><span class=\"actsititle\">Sacrificial Love</span></span></b><br>");
  document.writeln("<span class=\"actsilinks\"><a href=\"#\" onclick=\"window.print()\">Print this page</a></span>");document.writeln("<br><div id='actsartcl1'>");document.writeln("<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:");
document.writeln("&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif\"><i>So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his");
document.writeln("love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days.<sup>1</sup></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>");
document.writeln("<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:");
document.writeln("&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif\">Jacob was one of the twin sons born to Isaac and Rebekah.");
document.writeln("From the beginning Jacob was a deceiver and his mother\'€™s favorite son. Together,");
document.writeln("he and his mother executed a plan to steal his brother Esau\'€™s birthright and");
document.writeln("blessing. Because of his poor choices, Jacob was forced to flee because of the anger Esau felt, and leave his family behind. During his time with relatives in");
document.writeln("another land, he met the love of his life, Rachel. Jacob may have been used to");
document.writeln("things coming easy or having the help of his mother to get what he wanted, but");
document.writeln("here he was alone and, if he was going to earn the right to marry Rachel, he");
document.writeln("was going to have to work\'€¦ really hard! <o:p></o:p></span></p>");
document.writeln("<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:");
document.writeln("&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif\">In addition to the physical labor, his future father-in-law");
document.writeln("deceived him into marrying Leah, who was Rachel\'€™s older sister. Instead of");
document.writeln("working seven years, he ended up serving his father-in-law seven more years in");
document.writeln("order to have Rachel as his wife as well. Despite his mistakes, Jacob");
document.writeln("eventually learned the necessary lessons, embraced humility, and made peace");
document.writeln("with his brother. Because of his repentance, he was blessed by God. <o:p></o:p></span></p>");
document.writeln("<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:");
document.writeln("&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif\">Like Jacob, we have made mistakes. Our sin had");
document.writeln("separated us from God, and the penalty was too high for us to pay. Jacob was");
document.writeln("willing to work for Rachel out of love, but the love God has for us is incomparable!");
document.writeln("He saw us with love and mercy and sent Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice for our");
document.writeln("sins. It was because of this that we can now be reconciled to God and have a");
document.writeln("personal relationship with Him. Out of love for our Savior, we must also");
document.writeln("willingly suffer for His sake. This suffering looks different for all of");
document.writeln("us, but we know that if we are faithful and endure, we will reach the final");
document.writeln("prize when we see Jesus face to face one day. <o:p></o:p></span></p>");
document.writeln("<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:");
document.writeln("&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif\">Suggested prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for loving me so");
document.writeln("much that you sacrificed your life in order to save me. Help my love for you be");
document.writeln("so great that I, too, may willingly sacrifice what you ask of me to further");
document.writeln("your Kingdom. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In the name of Jesus I pray,");
document.writeln("amen. <span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp;</span><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp;</span><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>");
document.writeln("<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:");
document.writeln("&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif\"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p>");
document.writeln("<p class=\"MsoListParagraph\" style=\"text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1\"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif;");
document.writeln("mso-fareast-font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"mso-list:Ignore\">1.<span style=\"font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif\">Genesis");
document.writeln("29:20 (<i>NLT</i>). <o:p></o:p></span></p>");
document.writeln("<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:");
document.writeln("&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif\"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p>");
document.writeln("<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:");
document.writeln("&quot;Arial&quot;,sans-serif\">Today\'€™s Encounter was written by: Crystal B. <o:p></o:p></span></p>");
document.writeln("<br></div>");  document.writeln("</div><hr /><span class=\"body\"><p class=\"actsicopyright\"> </p>");
  document.writeln("<p style=\"font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;\">This and other devotionals by Richard (Dick) Innes <a href=\"http://www.actsweb.org/archives.php\" target=\"_blank\">can be read online</a>.<br><br>Copyright &copy; 1990 - 2026<br /><a href=\"http://www.actsweb.org/\" target=\"_blank\">ACTS International</a></p>");
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