Leah was unloved by her husband. We all desire to be loved, to be cherished. Have you ever been in a situation where you felt unloved, unwanted, disliked? Maybe within your family, at a job, or even in your marriage? I have.

Perhaps because our desire to be loved and accepted is so strong, we begin to vie for the love of others. So we perform for them. We pander to them. Leah did. She had babies for her husband. Not just babies, but boys. With each child born, she hoped, prayed, her husband would love her. He didn’t.

Then Leah has a revelation. I will praise the Lord. Instead of looking to my husband, my job, my family, my friends to fulfill my need to be accepted I will praise my God. Because my Heavenly Father loves me unconditionally, I don’t have to vie for His love. I don’t have to perform for Him. I am complete in Him. So after 4 babies, after years of striving for love, after years of pandering for her husband’s affection, Leah finds freedom in praising Her God!

And she conceived again and bore a son and said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing. (Genesis 29:35 NASB)