Looking Back on God's Blessings
Twenty years had passed for Jacob. He left his home in fear of his life, and now, he was returning home in fear of his life. His brother, Esau, said he was going to kill him because of his lies to steal his blessing from their father, Isaac. That is why he left, but how would Esau react to his return? Jacob wasn't sure, but he knew God had promised to take care of him, and he had done just that. He left with nothing, and he was returning with a huge family and many possessions.(Genesis 32:10)
It is easy to get caught up in the troubles of the present and fail to look back on God's blessings. Life is hard. There are many trials. However, there are many blessings for those who trust the Lord and humbly serve Him, as Jacob had done for 20 years. Yes, Jacob lied and stole the blessing. However, when he crossed the Jordan River to go to find a wife in Haran, he left all of that behind. He had a vision of a ladder reaching to heaven with angels going up and down. Now, he sees a vision of a troop of angels with him at his return. Jacob stopped to think about the difference God had made. He was not worthy of God's mercy and the truth He showed him, but he was thankful for it. God had blessed his faithful service and truthfulness with Laban.
What about you? How far have you come in the last 20 years? If you have been faithful to the Lord, I am sure the blessings are so plentiful, they are hard to count. If you have lived a life of pride and deceit, you may have seen all you had slip away. We can't change the last 20 years now, but we can change the next 20. I hope we will all commit to humbly serve the Lord with all of our hearts. Then, we can look back in 20 years to see what He has done.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Genesis 33-36.
It is easy to get caught up in the troubles of the present and fail to look back on God's blessings. Life is hard. There are many trials. However, there are many blessings for those who trust the Lord and humbly serve Him, as Jacob had done for 20 years. Yes, Jacob lied and stole the blessing. However, when he crossed the Jordan River to go to find a wife in Haran, he left all of that behind. He had a vision of a ladder reaching to heaven with angels going up and down. Now, he sees a vision of a troop of angels with him at his return. Jacob stopped to think about the difference God had made. He was not worthy of God's mercy and the truth He showed him, but he was thankful for it. God had blessed his faithful service and truthfulness with Laban.
What about you? How far have you come in the last 20 years? If you have been faithful to the Lord, I am sure the blessings are so plentiful, they are hard to count. If you have lived a life of pride and deceit, you may have seen all you had slip away. We can't change the last 20 years now, but we can change the next 20. I hope we will all commit to humbly serve the Lord with all of our hearts. Then, we can look back in 20 years to see what He has done.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Genesis 33-36.