By Robin Wiley
Scripture:
1 Peter 5:6-7
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
If someone offered to buy you a $65,000 Mercedes Benz in one year, or to get you a brand new bicycle right now, which would you choose? Obviously, you’d wait, especially if you were a teen getting your driver’s license next week J. Yet many times, we do the exact opposite. Instead of waiting patiently and allowing God to work things out for our good, our impatience gets the best of us, and we can’t wait.
Esau couldn’t wait, so he traded his birthright to his twin brother, Jacob, for a bowl of lentil soup (Genesis 25:29-34). That’s right – he traded his whole inheritance to feed his craving of the moment!
Did you know that the familiar lineage of “Abraham, Isaac, ad Jacob” should have read “Abraham, Isaac, and Esau”? It should have been Esau’s name in the place where Jacob’s name is, but Esau was greedy and had tunnel vision. He could only see what felt good right then, instead of looking at the cost for the long run. How many of us have done that in our lives? How about our teens and millennials who probably take that approach every day in their lives?
We can look at the story and wonder why he would trade something so valuable for something so momentary, but we do the same thing. We sell out and settle for a lesser version of a greater vision. So, what’s your ‘bowl of soup’? Are you thinking of settling on a relationship, your reputation, your popularity on social media, or the trust of a close friend of your parents? Whatever that is, don’t let your “appetite control you like Esau’s did.
The devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8) Jesus offers us short-term pain, with long-term pleasure. Following Him, will not always be easy but it will be rewarding with the promises He gives us: eternal life (Matthew 16:24-25), acceptance (John 6:37), reconciliation with God (Romans 5:10), joy(John 15:9-11), and yes, trials - “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).
I don’t know about you, but there is no way that I am going to trade the best God has planned for my life for a bowl of lentil soup or any soup for that matters!
Prayer:
Father God –Thank you for always keeping your promises to us. You have the best in mind for me for my life – so please help me to focus on giving back my best back to you in return. Teach me the patience of Jesus in all that I do. Please take any anxiety I am feeling now and replace it with your everlasting peace. In Jesus name – Amen!