Genesis
32:9-10 And Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham and God of my
father Isaac, O LORD who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your
kindred, that I may do you good,' (10) I am not worthy of the least
of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown
to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have
become two camps.
Last week, we noted how Jacob’s
character had been transformed by God over the past twenty years. Hardships and
trials are the means that God often uses to shape, mould and transform our
character, and Jacob had, had no shortage of these during his time with Laban.
Before Jacob arrived in Haran, God had made several promises to Jacob, promises
which must have sounded nigh impossible at the time. Now Jacob has witnessed
the faithfulness of God as God has brought these promises to fulfilment.
Jacob’s gratitude and humility are evident in his prayer as he prepares to meet
Esau. He acknowledges his unworthiness, his sinfulness and the fact that he is
in no way deserving of God’s love or faithfulness. Secondly, he acknowledges
that his prosperity has not come from his own hand but from God’s hand. God has
prospered him; God has caused him to become two camps, two families, with large
flocks of livestock and great wealth. Thirdly, he commits his future
and the future of his family into God’s hand. Jacob greatly feared coming
face to face with Esau, and he knew there was only one to whom he could entrust
himself, his life and his family to and that was God.
There is much we can learn from these
two verses. We need to cultivate the same attitude of humility and thankfulness
towards God. God is the one who prospers and keeps us, supplying our every
need. God is the one who is so faithfully at work in our lives performing His
will, and God is constantly at work in our lives shaping, moulding and refining
our character to make us more and more like Christ. Like Jacob, we need to
respond to all of God’s past faithfulness and work in our lives, by committing
our future to Him and entrusting ourselves into His divine and sovereign will for
our lives. Our desire to do this should be all the greater as we approach the
Easter weekend. It is at this time of year that we remember Christ and his work
for us. Christ is the ultimate fulfilment of the promises made to Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob. Jesus is the promised son, the promised descendant, through
whom all the nations of the earth will be blessed. It is through Jesus Christ
that we have now become the people of God, received the promised
salvation of God and eternal life. We have even greater reasons than Jacob
to live in humility and thankfulness before God, trusting Him for the future,
especially when we keep in mind that our ultimate future is being held and kept
by God, and we are be held and kept by God for it.
Gracious Lord we pray that You would
open our eyes so that we might see the extent of Your faithfulness towards us
and the many ways in which You care, protect and provide for us. Thank You most
of all for the great provision of Christ, who has dealt with our sin and
brought us into a relationship with You. We worship You for we know that this
salvation through Christ is not a vain and empty hope, but one that is held and
kept by You. Help us now to live in humility before You, in dependence upon You
and entrust ourselves and our future into Your wise and good hands. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment