Verse of the day:
Genesis 33:4 But Esau ran
to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they
wept.
How
often have any of us worried ourselves sick over something that did not turn
out as bad as we imagined it? We worry about things that consume our thoughts,
rob our peace, and in the end makes us feel like failures when we realize that
we did not trust God to know what was ahead of us. Jacob sent gifts ahead of
meeting his brother in hopes of appeasing him and finding favor with him. He
had a sleepless night the night before meeting Esau because all he remembered
was his brother’s state of mind before he was sent away to live with his uncle,
Laban. Yet, when he finally meets his brother, the welcome he receives is quite
surprising, as there appears to be no trace of bitterness or resentment from
Esau. What a wonderful picture of forgiveness and reconciliation we see in this
union of brotherly love. Esau demonstrated forgiveness, and a willingness to
reconcile with his brother, even before accepting his gifts (v. 8). Jacob
received his brother’s forgiveness even before he approached him and bowed down
in respect for his older brother. What a reminder for us that the forgiveness
we receive from the Lord is simply by His grace, and there is nothing we can
offer Him in order to earn it. This verse also presents for us a great example
of how we, as brothers and sisters in Christ, should be toward each other in
forgiving our trespasses towards one another. Ephesians 4:31-32 tells us to “Let all bitterness,
wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as
God in Christ forgave you.” The bottom line here is that long before Jacob, now
Israel, was reunited with his brother, God already knew about the change in
Esau’s heart. Proverbs 21:1 tells us that “The king’s heart is in the hands of
the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.” The Lord
already knows what lies ahead of us, and we worry needlessly when we fail to
trust His leading. So often, the devils keep us at odds with one another because
we fail to seek reconciliation with each other, thinking that the other person
is still holding a grudge. We unnecessarily continue in broken fellowship,
fearing that we will not be well received. In the case where someone chooses to
hold on to a grudge, and their bitterness, we are still responsible for being
at peace with them, as much as lies within us, and trust God to work on their
heart. The sad fact is that there will be times when Christians will harden
their hearts, and refuse to let go of past hurts; only to their own hurt
(emotionally, spiritually, and often physically); and ultimately when they
stand before the Lord. What a difference we could make in our walk and mission
to lead others to Christ, if the world saw real peace, forgiveness, and
reconciliation, amongst God’s people first. This one account tells us much
about forgiveness, reconciliation, and trusting God with what lies ahead, as He
already knows what is in the hearts of men (Proverbs 15:11; Jeremiah 20:12;
John 2:25).
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