An undeserved gift
Wednesday, March 17
An undeserved gift
Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. Genesis 25:33
Have you ever been frustrated by the feeling that you were not getting what you deserved? Knowing that God intended to bless him, Jacob instead of waiting, took steps to secure that blessing for himself. And Esau, whose hunger for soup overruled his common sense, cooperated by selling his birthright.
Perhaps like Jacob, we often see God’s blessing as something we should have—or maybe even deserve—and we think we need to seize it or secure it by making some kind of deal or bargain. We often try to scheme our way to the blessings because we do not understand the move of God. Yes, like Jacob we can get to that place but if it is not the route God intended then the journey will be long.
Blessings from God are an undeserved gift. We do not deserve it but, God sees it fit to give it to us. This means no matter how you position yourself, what is for you will be for you according to God. They cannot be purchased for any price other than the blood Christ gave for us on the cross. Yet as Jacob’s story will show us, it can take a lifetime to set aside our human tendency to struggle against the work of God and to receive his love as a gift.
Pray that God’s Spirit will begin to help you learn that lesson today.
Prayer for today: Loving Father, we often try to seize for ourselves what you delight to offer as a gift. Help us to look today to Christ, who has already paid the price of your blessing for us. Amen.