(Gen 32:3-5 NIV) Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord Esau: Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.”
This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Faith and Patience VOL III – Never Give Up!” by continuing to look at the life of Jacob. I love learning from Biblical characters. The Bible is rich and the stories are applicable to today’s life. While many of us remember Jacob as the father of the 12 tribes of Israel, we forget his cunning beginnings. When Jacob was young he was a conniving trickster. He stole his brother’s birthright, he deceived his father to do it, and his mother was an accomplice in the shifty deal. The situation caused so much strife that Jacob had to leave like an outcast.
Jacob came to Laban with nothing but the clothes on his back, a brother on his tail, and a God on his side. All he had was the blessing of Abraham, passed down to him by his father, and his commitment to honor God with a tenth of everything he received. He left Laban’s house 20 years later as a wealthy man, with a big family, lots of animals, and a team of servants. But now, after two decades, Jacob was going to have to deal with an old issue. That’s how life is sometimes. No matter how much success you believe you have attained, if you have unresolved issues, at some point you must come to grips with them and confront them. The courage to confront unresolved issues is a quality every believer should have.
With the confrontation with Laban behind him, Jacob was now free to focus on the possible confrontation he would have with his brother. The last time he saw his brother Esau wanted to kill him. It had been 20 years and Jacob was not sure if Esau still wanted him dead. So Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to meet with his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. Jacob’s servants were to tell Esau how he was doing. Jacob was hoping that once his brother heard how well he was doing that he would find “favor” in his eyes. Jacob was not sure how his brother would react, so he was being overly cautious. However, Jacob was sure that God was leading him to go home, so he could find confidence in that. We will stop here for today.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. While it might be true that time heals all wounds; unresolved issues must be dealt with eventually.
2. If you are going to maximize your purpose and potential in life, you must develop the courage to confront issues, even when part of you would rather leave them unresolved.
3. When God is leading you to do something you must find the courage to do it, by faith, even if it is something that is seemingly dangerous or contentious. If God is leading you to do it, then He will protect you. Where He leads, He feeds. Where He guides, He provides.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for leading and guiding me in the way that I should go. I declare, by faith, that I have the courage to do whatever You lead me to do, even when the situation seems dangerous or contentious. I trust that You will be with me every step of the way. I also declare that I have the courage to confront unresolved issues. Bad situations don’t always get better with time and I will be honest with myself, to the point where I acknowledge and confront what I need to, in order to become the person You desire for me to be. I shall maximize my purpose and potential, while I am in the land of the living, and I will do it by facing every challenge head-on, by faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
