Genesis 29-31 are difficult passages. It is hard to understand how the chaos and disorder brought about by the deceit, envy, jealousy, and shady behavior of people could be ordained by or blessed by God. We see that Laban deceives Jacob regarding his daughters, whom both become wives of Jacob. We see envy and jealousy in the lives of two women fighting for the love and favor of their husband. We see Jacob cheating his relative out of his flocks and claiming God's support in the matter. Does God desire this behavior amongst his children? Or are these stories examples of behaviors which are destructive? These stories reveal how God's ways are better than our own, and just what can happen when we are focused more on our own desires rather than God's. Pray that God would break your heart about the sin in our lives and in the world, and that he would remind you to walk in his ways because they are not just what is right, but also what is best.