A
famished, starving Esau wanders into his brothers tent intrigued by the waft of
Jacob’s stew. It is just what he needs to satiate his hunger. He asks for some
of the meal and Jacob cunningly responds with a costly proposition;
“Make me a trade: my stew for your rights as the first born.” In this moment
Esau is confronted with a major decision. From the outside looking in, it would
seem obvious that an inheritance would be far more valuable than a bowl of
stew, but Esau's perception is clouded by his intense desire to be fed. His
feelings and emotions tell him that nothing else is as important because in his
words, “I’m starving, what good is a birthright if I’m dead?” He was only
concerned with fulfilling his immediate desires without considering the impact
on his future.
One
thing we learn from Esau is that if we rely on our feelings we often lose out
on our reward. Our feelings do not have logic. We often have to step out of our
feelings to see the bigger picture. In
those moments when the grand
scheme eludes us we must learn to rely on the wisdom of God and trust that he
has our best interest at heart. The
ultimate goal is that our desires become the desires of God. David
says it this way, “Delight in the Lord, and he will give you
your
heart’s desires.”
I
believe this to mean that He will implant His will for your life in your heart
and you will begin to desire and hunger for His will. His plans will be your
plans, his purposes will be your purposes. In
our lives we are assured an eternal inheritance upon accepting Christ as our
Lord and nothing can take that away. There are times when we encounter
situations that require us to make wise trade offs. Always
trust that if God is prompting you to let go of something he will replace it
with something far greater than
you could have ever imagined.
Father,
help me to let go of my earthly desires and trust in your plan for my life. I
surrender all I have to you for I
know
that you make beauty of ashes and will work all things together for my good.
Amen.
Genesis 25 : 27-4
Psalm 27 : 4
