Value

As I've mentioned before, Jacob knew how to value things, the tangible and the intangible, but mostly the intangible. Here's the thinking of the unbelieving mocker of the Christian: "You are living for something you cannot see and don't know for certain you'll receive. I'll gladly sell you my invisible Blessing and birthright because I'd rather have what I can see." This was Esau. Jacob would have paid much more for the birthright had Esau demanded, but even that would have been an error on Esau's part because the birthright of Abraham and Isaac was priceless.

How often do we live our lives mesmerized by this world and its things? How often do we look back at how we acted and say, "How I wish I had obeyed the Lord's word there and done such and such"? Thus, we show how little we value Him and His Word. But look at Jacob and how he stuck it out against Laban. God rewarded him materially, but even more importantly, God rewarded him with Joseph and all Joseph went through. Joseph suffered so he could be raised up to new, unimagined heights of glory. So, Jacob's long and grievous life led to great glory in his life, but more importantly, in the life of his descendant, the Messiah Jesus Christ.

So, when you're tempted to react in anger when you know to turn the other cheek, and when you want to retaliate instead of letting God be the avenger of wrongs against you, think about Jacob and how he waited and allowed God to work because Jacob wanted the Blessing, not anything of lesser value. What do you value?