Tuesday, March 15, 2011

I'm On My Way! (Part 2)

I'm On My Way! (Part 2)
And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. (Genesis 32:24-26)
Jacob prayed a prayer, and then he instructed his three servants to go, present the gifts, and to tell Esau that Jacob is on his way. Proverbs 15:1 says: "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger." Jacob wanted to soften his brother up with a succession of gifts, so that when they came face-to-face, maybe Esau would be glad to see him. Jacob knew (like I knew when that sister and I had the disagreement), there had been an injury to someone and that it had been left behind, unresolved. . Apostle Paul said in the 13th chapter of 1st Corinthians verse 11 "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." Jacob had changed, he was older, wiser, and richer. He knew that the thing he had done (stealing his brother’s birthright), was childish and foolish. Yes, Jacob knew all of this, now he had to let Esau know!
Jacob had now grown-up, and was ready to take responsibility for his actions. He now had wives and children, meaning he had learned to partnership and he had learned how to have others depended upon him without thinking of himself first. In doing both, each brought him to understand trust. After separating his possessions into two companies, he then "took his two wives, his two womanservants, and his eleven sons and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had." (verse 22-23). Because he is now a husband and father, the second thing Jacob does, is to make preparation for the protection of his family. When Jacob took his family, etc over the river, he was acting in faith, because he left himself no retreat. If at this point Esau wanted to attack, they would be backed up against the river. Jacob did get his family to safety. This left Jacob alone, and with time only to spend in prayer. He went into prayer because he knew he was on his way to showing his brother, the new Jacob.
Do you understand what it is to trust? The word trust simply means, the thing or person on which someone can rely on or depend on. Can God trust you to be in cooperation with the Pastor of your church? Can He trust you to be over the choir, the usher board, or anything in the church, and have you lead by example? I can remember in life being so "wishy washy" that I could not be counted on. 2nd John 1:8 says: "Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward." Now that I am on my way to becoming all that God has destined me to me, faithfulness is key. I can be depended on to stay true to the assignments that I have been given, whether someone is around watching me or not!

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