In the midst of all the chaos of what is COVID-19, how should we as Christians respond. I trust this will be an encouragement to you, maybe it’s just a reminder of things you already know, but still able to be of comfort in uncertain times.
Todd Janes shares from I Corinthians 1:18-31 and the significance of God’s leading.
Jacob’s life was one of struggle, but he is about to have the struggle of his life. It will be an all night wrestling match with the pre-incarnate Christ who leave a mark that will remind Jacob of his need to always cling to God. Whenever we meet God, we will never walk the same again.
Out of the frying pan and into the fire, at least that’s what Jacob thought. Laban tracked him down with every intention of ill-will, but that was now behind him because of God’s intervention. Esau was ahead of him and he had no idea what his intentions were although he assumed it couldn’t be good with amassing a small army of 400 friends. God reassured him through his protective angels surrounding him. In the instructions given to his servants of the message that was to be shared with Esau and then in his prayer, we see a much different man than 20 years earlier. In both the message and his prayer we see genuine humility. We are reminded of how we should approach God: praying His Word, praying His will and praying in humility.
Sometimes it doesn’t take much to get riled up. Other times unresolved issues over time build to the point of boiling over and spewing out. We see both in our passage in the lives of Laban and Jacob. The Bible has some advice on how to handle anger (and not sin). It is something all of us can learn from and live by.
Jacob has come to the realization that Haran is no longer a place that is welcoming. Things have gotten tough for him and God reveals that it is time to head back to the promised land. It the hubbub of moving, Rachel took her father’s household gods. We aren’t told why, but what we come to realize is that the world offers many gods that try to satisfy an otherwise empty heart. But on the way to the promised land we should put away the idols of the heart, those things that have taken God’s rightful place as king of our lives, heart and affection. As the hymn states, we are to “break down every idol, cast out every woe, now wash me and I shall be wither than snow.” Are there any lingering idols that have stolen your affection?
The love Jacob had for Rachel, reflected in his desire to serve Laban for seven years, seemed like only a few short days to him. This devotion shows us the kind of loving service we should have for the Lord and for each other. Our message today shows us that we need to have a passion for serving, the pursuit of serving and a purpose for serving. As we serve others, they see our good works and are pointed to God where He receives the glory. How will we choose to serve today?
Interwoven through this passage are the besetting sins of greed, deceit, envy and jealousy. It’s all part of the process of Jacob learning to have faith in God. Confronted with his own flawed character, God is going to begin the process of reshaping him, but it will come through some family conflict. It’s a journey we all take in one form another. Learn to trust God.
(We apologize that there is no audio of this message)
On the run, Jacob has a dream in which he meets God. In his dream, the wonder of God is evident as he sees God’s supremacy and God’s servants. He hears the will of God explained as God confirms His favor on Jacob, His future for Jacob and the fence about Jacob. When Jacob awakens from his dream he expresses his worship of God in both his attitudes and actions. He made a dedication, then a declaration, and finally a decision. Jacob is on a journey of discovering what it is like to know the presence of God who will fulfill His promises. It’s a journey of faith, the same kind of journey that we are on as we recognize God’s presence and His power to keep His promises.
Someone has said that it is never right to set aside doing right in order to achieve what is right. Yet that’s what we see in our text for today in what is considered the saddest chapter in Genesis. We have a family at odds, some who don’t want to obey God’s will, some who want God’s will but want to achieve it in their own way. As we consider the new year ahead of us, this passage provides some things to consider for our own walk with God as individuals, families and as a church family. A good practice for life in this year is to follow the advice in James 3:16-18. If we do that we are less likely to have a family feud. Perhaps the best advice for getting along as a family and for obeying God is the two-fold principle to love God first with everything we have and then love others as ourselves.