One of the cool things about studying Gods Word is getting to talk it through with other people. And last night, I had one of those really good conversations with my pastor about Jacob and Esau.
Jacob was the younger of the two, which meant Esau was the rightful heir. That's just how it worked. But even before they were born, God already knew how the story would unfold. He spoke to Rebekah and told her the eldest would serve the youngest.
Now was it Jacob who pushed for the blessing, or was it Rebekah who pushed him into it? The best answer is...both. Rebekah had held onto that promise for years. And when she saw Isaac preparing to bless Esau, fear likely crept in. It probably felt like the promise was slipping away, so she stepped in and took control. She made the plan and she told Jacob what to do. She even took responsibility for the outcome. But Jacob still chose to go along with it.
He hesitated. He questioned it. But he put on the disguise. He spoke the lie. He took the blessing. Rebekah may have initiated the moment, but Jacob carried it out. And the blessing didn't bring peace. It brought consequences. Have you ever wanted something so bad it srive you crazy? You think about it constantly, dream about and eventually it consumes you....so you take matters into your own hands and make it happen... only to realize it's not how you imagined...
Believing God has something for you isn't the same as trusting Him to give it to you. Jacob believed in the promise. He just didn't believe God would come through without his help.
Knowing there's a calling on your life doesn't automatically teach you how to wait for it. Sometimes it does the opposite. It creates anxiety. A fear that if you don't move first, you might miss it, lose it, or watch someone else walk off with the very thing God promised you.
So Jacob pushed and so did Rebekah. Different roles, same root. Fear. A belief that God needed help to keep His word.God honored the promise because it was already His word but He didn't excuse the way it was handled. The blessing came, but peace didn't. Jacob gained the inheritance but lost so much more.
But God didn't walk away. He met Jacob on the road. In the mess, in the consequences. Not to approve the deception, but to stay faithful to His promise while reshaping Jacob's heart. God was committed to the promise but He still had work to do in the one who would carry it. Sometimes the waiting isn't punishment, it's preparation. It's where God teaches us that we don't have to strive for what He has already promised. We don't have to manipulate, compete, or rush what He has promised.
God often allows us to walk through consequences, not to shame us, but to help us battle the fear that made us rush in the first place. Because God isn't just interested in giving us the promise. He cares deeply about how we carry it.
So if you're waiting or rebuilding or learning to slow down after rushing ahead...take heart, God is still with you. What God has spoken over your life doesn't need your panic to survive.
You don't have to hurry God. You don't have to compete. You don't have to help Him keep His word.
Just trust his Timing.
Love Pastor Mandy
Ark of Hope Ministry
Daily Reading Genesis 26-28
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