by Scott Skowronski
When I was first asked to write for the E100 challenge, I was reluctant because internally I felt that I did not possess adequate knowledge of God's Word. I only recently began to faithfully read the Bible within the last year and felt that I lacked the knowledge and understanding that would be required to participate. However, I asked God to be with me in my decision and through a feeling of peace he made me see that this opportunity was meant to be part of my on-going journey to bring his love further into the center of my heart.
Two weeks ago, I received a reminder email requesting my post. I immediately read through chapters 32 and 33 of Genesis and found myself confused by my unfamiliarity with the background of Jacob and Esau, so I turned to a trusted and respected friend from my community group for guidance. We together discussed the story of Jacob and Esau over dinner helping to develop a much better understanding of their lives enabling me to write more confidently about these chapters. Thank you Steve... your friendship is a true blessing!
Genesis 32 and 33 detailed exactly how God can work in our lives to lead us to salvation. God will restore hope inside our hearts and provide the forgiveness needed to overcome any past mistake. He can also turn the scariest situation into a moment of extreme joy. We simply need to trust the guidance of the Lord and turn our thoughts to him just as Jacob did in his quest to reconcile with his brother Esau.
Just as Jacob was misdirected in his actions in Genesis 25 and 27, we have all made some bad decisions. Even though we do not think about it at the time, one hasty selfish decision can cause a ripple effect often hurting the family we love just as much, if not more than ourselves. Since life lasts longer than the relatively short moments of our bad decisions, we have plenty of time to suffer through the consequences. Sometimes, we may even feel like Jacob did running from the hand of his brother in order to save his life.
However, Jacob trusted God and decided that it was time to reach out to Esau. Even though he expected the worst, Jacob faced his fears and prepared to meet his brother praying for him to receive his presence favorably. He sent gifts ahead of him and was willing to sacrifice all his material wealth to earn this desired outcome.
Thinking about the feelings Jacob must have been experiencing, I could not help but contemplate comparable desires in my own life and how I handle them. Do I make enough sacrifices in my life? Am I adequately preparing to achieve the desires God places in my heart? What more can I do?
At a time of extreme turmoil, Jacob wrestled with God. He separated himself from everyone and all his possessions fighting for God's blessing. Even after God took away the functionality of his hip, Jacob refused to stop until he received God's blessing. He went on to earn it eventually returning to his family and belongings. However, he limped away from the experience carrying a constant reminder of his time spent with God.
We may not ever physically have the same battle that Jacob had directly with God. However, we can definitely use this story to reminds us to turn to God when faced with hardship in life. We should "wrestle" for his blessing by giving our absolute all to him. When we do, I believe God will shape us into the people we were meant to be forever changed by our own unique version of a "limp".
Upon finally meeting his brother face to face, Esau immediately embraced Jacob. Even though Jacob presented himself as a servant, Esau welcomed him as his brother. Jacob's greatest fears were replaced with his greatest hopes and desires. He was reunited favorably with his brother saving him from past regrets and blessing him with a renewed future.
After working through these chapters, I am left with a desire to find the same type of freedom Jacob found in reuniting with his brother Esau. I think we can all benefit from identifying whatever it may be in life that is holding us back from living at our best. We can then wrestle with God on our own terms to receive the blessing we need to free ourselves from it. I trust that it will lead to the same type of joy Jacob felt when Esau received him with a hug.
I will be wrapping my life and thoughts around the word of God as I walk through the rest of this E100 challenge. It has already opened my heart to living a more meaningful existence strengthening current relationships and inspiring hope to conquer anything keeping me from living at my best. I look forward to standing strong four months from now filled with a new perspective granted through the power of the Holy Spirit. I am so grateful to be a part of such an amazing journey with so many other wonderful people brought together by the love of Christ. Please join me in taking this moment to embrace the grace of God and praise him for working in our lives.
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