God Teaches Us to Rely on HIs Promises - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 33:1-4,

"Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two maidservants. He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept."

Here are some thoughts I had on this passage in December, 2007:

This takes place as Jacob returns to his homeland after twenty years spent with his uncle Laban, acquiring wives, children and wealth. When he had left his home it was to flee from Esau, whose blessing, intended by their father, Isaac, was deceitfully taken by Jacob through trickery. Now Jacob heads for home and hears that his brother Esau is coming to meet him with four hundred men. Upon hearing of it we are told that Jacob was "in great fear and distress", 32:7. Jacob pours out his heart to the Lord in 32:9-12 asking the Lord for deliverance, that the Lord would spare him, his wives and children.

Jacob sends gifts ahead as he approaches Esau and when they meet there is a tearful reunion as our text says. The Lord makes good on his promise, "Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you", 31:3. I note that the way the events unfolded Jacob was left in his "great fear and distress" that had the effect of turning Jacob's reliance on God himself which drove him to his knees in his heartfelt prayer for deliverance. 

And so I recognize in my own life that at times trouble and distress will come and that these will come as the Lord is busy in my life, teaching me to rely on him, on his wisdom and on his strength. He teaches me to reach out for his grace to grapple problems that I may find overwhelming at times. He teaches me to trust in his promises, to recognize his goodness to me when he delivers me and to recognize his great love for me when he expresses it. "Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead." 2 Corinthians 1:9.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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