Genesis 27:28 May God give you of Heaven’s dew and Earth’s bounty of grain and wine.  

Isaac and Rebekah had two sons, Esau and Jacob. They were twins, but they didn’t really like one another. Jacob had Esau by the heel at birth, and in the end, he was the reason that Esau stumbled. 

Reading the story of Jacob, who traded his older brother’s birthright for a bowl of soup, makes you wonder about Jacob’s integrity. But when you reach Genesis 27 and see Jacob obtaining his father’s blessing through trickery, you wonder even more about his chosen path. 

It’s not a pretty story. Rebekah, their mother, heard that it was time for Isaac to bless Esau. At that time, a father’s blessing played a very big role. It was decisive for the prosperity of that person and his descendants. 

Rebekah then hatched some devious plans. She prepared Isaac’s favourite dish, made Jacob dress in Esau’s clothes, and even put goat skins around his arms and neck, so that Isaac wouldn’t realise it was actually Jacob. 

Her plans worked, and Jacob received his father’s blessing. 

Of course, Esau was furious. He cried a lot, and his anger ran very deep. Jacob was forced to flee from his brother’s murderous rage, seeking refuge in a distant land until Esau’s anger finally cooled. 

God had already said before their birth that Jacob would be the leader, but Rebekah and Jacob did not believe that God would make it happen. They made their own plans, and the consequences were catastrophic. Isaac was upset, Esau was crying, and Jacob had to go into hiding for quite a few years. 

Not trusting and making our own plans is wildly dangerous. This path is usually strewn with pain and hardship, and people who suffer. 

Instead, we need to spend time with God, so that we can learn to wait and to trust His plans and His timing. He wants to bless us, but it will happen in His time. We just need to wait, listen, and sometimes wait a little longer. 

God will show up at the right time! 

Prayer
Father, keep me from making my own plans. Help me to sit and wait with You. Keep me calm and believing that You will indeed appear with many blessings …  

Questions
Where are you making your own plans instead of trusting in God?
Who gets hurt when you try to be in control?
How can you wait patiently for God’s blessing? 

Now do this
Think back to a time when God made something work out for you even though it seemed like nothing was happening for a long time, and thank Him for it.
Trust today that God is still working to smooth your path, even if you’re not seeing the outcome yet.
Choose today deliberately not to manipulate, but to trust God’s timing and guidance.