Sending Rebekah to a foreign land to marry a man she had never met had to have been difficult for her family. No e-mail, phones, or even a postal system were in place to communicate. Rebekah’s family may have never seen her, or even heard from her, again. And yet, because they knew God was at work, they let her leave (v. 50).

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus said something interesting about family, specifically that following Him would bring divisions in families (Matthew 8:20–23; 10:35–37; Luke 14:26). But when someone loses a brother, sister, mother or father on account of Jesus, he or she needs to remember that more than 10,000 new ones are gained.

But sometimes the Gospel will separate a family for different reasons, when God calls a family member to the mission field, for example. Even if a family is united by the Gospel, separation like this will be difficult, but we know it will all be worth it. Because Christ is always worth it.

• How can you encourage missionaries and others you know who have been separated from family and loved ones for the sake of the Gospel?