Today’s reading: Genesis 32:3-21
Immediately after working through the difficulty of permanently parting ways with Laban, Jacob turns toward his homeland only to be faced with the prospect of encountering his long offended brother, Esau. Jacob kindly and humbly (calls Esau “my lord” and refers to himself as Esau’s “servant”) sends word to Esau of his journey, but his kindness isn’t immediately reciprocated. Instead, Jacob receives word that Esau is approaching with an army of 400 men! Jacob is filled with fear, and in this state, he wisely turns to God in prayer.
And what a beautiful example of prayer it is. Jacob humbly approaches God, yet his request and conversation are bold. He pours out his heart, very specifically telling God what he wants and what he fears will happen. But most noteworthy about this dialogue was how Jacob repeats back to God the very promises that God had made to him (see Genesis 29 and 31). God certainly didn’t need the reminder, but Jacob did. Why? Because his verbalizing of the promises God had made to him served to strengthen and reinforce Jacob’s trust in and relationship with God.
How does repeating back to God promises He’s given us in His Word impact your thinking, attitude, mood and/or outlook? What’s one promise (verse) from God’s Word that you claim and repeat back to Him when you’re feeling afraid? What about when you’re lonely or sad Tami
Join the discussion on the P4 Blog
Source: Tami’s Blog
