To God Be the Glory  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CeBoSQsBR0.

Have you praised God today?

For God so loved the world that He gave us His Son is how John 3:16 starts. In the NIV it says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, the verse does not stop there. A promise follows with an action step, “that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Beloved, do you believe in Jesus, not that He was a good man, a prophet, but do you believe that He is God’s Son, He is the second person in the trinity, that He is equal with God. He was present when the world was created, He came to be the perfect lamb that was slain for our sins, He is the perfect offering. He served humanity by giving His life as an atonement for our sinful ways. Yes, He is my savior. To God Be the Glory. Beloved verse 17 of John 3 reads,

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through Him.

Have you ever thought where we would be with Jesus’ sacrifice?

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23 NIV

In the hall of faith, our next servant of the Lord is Jacob.

Read with me Hebrews 11: 21

By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. Hebrews 11:21.

We already shared that Jacob was Issac’s son, Issac’s eyesight was failing as well as his health and Rebekah favored Jacob so she masterminded a plan for Jacob to receive the birthright instead of Esau. You can read the story in Genesis 27.

When this transpired, Jacob had to flee for his life because Esau was angry enough to kill his brother as we read in verse 41,

Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”

So Rebekah arranged for Jacob to go to her family. While traveling to Haran, Jacob has a dream. The Lord speaks to Jacob in Genesis 28.

“I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. ¹⁴ Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.^[d] 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Genesis 28: 13-17.

Jacob travel on to his uncle and he meets Rachel, he is smitten and arranges to marry her. However, the plot thickens and she has a sister and a sinister dad. Who needs soap operas when you have the Bible.

Read these verses in Genesis 29.

Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”

¹⁹ Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” ²⁰ So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her. Genesis 29: 18-20,

Jacob is tricked, he marries Rachel but wakes up to Leah. So he has to work another seven years for Rachel.

Do you find it ironic that Jacob tricked his father and now he is tricked by his father in law?

Jacob has children with Leah, and then with Rachel. He didn’t learn the lesson from his father because he favored Rachel’s children.

Jacob’s strengths are he followed God, he chose marriage even though he was tricked. He loves his wives but his weaknesses are he favors Rachel over Leah and Rachel’s children over his other son’s by Leah.

Lessons to be learned we do need to cherish God and His Word. We need to follow God’s plan for our lives. We need to be careful to not play favorites and jealousy has no place in the life of a believer.

Father God, draw us near to you. Let us claim your promises. May I not play favorites or be jealous. In the name of Jesus. Amen

What is God asking you to do in response to this blog? Are you trusting God in these hard times?