The Simple Life

And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. Genesis 32:24 (ESV) Jacob seemed immersed in a family of deceit, dishonor, and manipulation, yet he had something in his heart that God chose to bless. Job was righteous, shunned evil, and feared God, yet God continued His refining work until we see his repentance at the end of the book. Peter had a wonderful heart and desired to please God, yet God used a time of desperation to accelerate him toward the leadership role for which He designed Him. If you pay attention, there are moments when God takes those with pure hearts, solidifies their belief, and accelerates their journey. None of us are perfect, and we all suffer with worldly cataracts that God carefully removes throughout life. My job is to remain pure in heart, to tenaciously seek and submit to His will, and to watch Him work. Enjoy God today https://www.podbean.com/relate365

Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, "Jacob has taken all that was our father's, and from what was our father's he has gained all this wealth." And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before. Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you." Genesis 31:1-3 (ESV) Prosperity is often a curse more than a blessing; children are the natural heirs of their parents' sinful attitudes. Jacob was not a perfect person, yet he was the one who received the promise of God. God decided to use Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob uniquely, and nothing would thwart His plan. Sometimes God uses the resources of the wicked to fuel His purposes, and it seems Laban fits this category. I am convinced I will be a part of God's plan regardless of what I do. If I am evil, God will manipulate my worldly gains and use them and me for His purposes, and I will end up with no benefit. But, on the o...

When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, "Give me children, or I shall die!" Genesis 30:1 (ESV) Envy destroys lives, yet we seem to spend much of our emotional energy observing what others have compared to us. When Peter asked Jesus about "the disciple that Jesus loved," Jesus, in essence, told him to mind his own business and focus on himself, making a proper response. In Galatians 5, envy is listed with drunkenness and orgies as disruptive forces of evil in our lives. The problem is that we do not believe God uniquely created us and has a life plan. Instead, we think that the plan for someone else should be our plan, and we look for God to use us or bless us like them. The Scriptures teach that each person is unique; we are all different body parts with different functions and purposes. An elbow would be inappropriate for a knee to envy, and for me to envy another person for any reason would be disastrous. Healthy ...

So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her. Genesis 29:20 (ESV) God has a plan, yet working out the plan of God can sometimes get messy. We will never be able to thwart God's plans; however, we can make getting to the finish line awkwardly difficult. Knowing God and submitting to His plan is the foundation to all wise decisions. But, unfortunately, sometimes, knowing something about God and sort of submitting is an excellent way to spread misery. In the end, God's promise to Jacob is kept, and his sons begin the tribes of Israel. No human can thwart the plans of God. Therefore, our decisions will either allow us to join in on what God is doing or keep us outside looking into what God is doing. God worked through Jacob, and, to this day, is identified as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This plan works because the ultimate story is not about Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob but about God. What is your life story ...

Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, "I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Genesis 28:10-15 (E...

His mother said to him, "Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me." Genesis 27:13 I wonder if we think about the ramifications of our actions. Sometimes we are so into the moment that we embrace foolish decisions that will destroy our tomorrow. Yet, we do not seem to care. Instead, we are excited about today and pretend that tomorrow is not coming. Jacob's mom wanted things to be a certain way so badly that she was willing to be destroyed in the process, as well as allow her son to live a deceptive and guilt-ridden life. The price of narcissism is always too high. So be careful, for today's desires can fuel tomorrow's disasters. https://www.podbean.com/relate365

So Abimelech called Isaac and said, "Behold, she is your wife. How then could you say, 'She is my sister'?" Isaac said to him, "Because I thought, 'Lest I die because of her.'" Abimelech said, "What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us." So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, "Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death." Genesis 26:9-11 Sin affects everyone it touches and changes lives for generations. Family generational sins are difficult to break and cause problems for many years. However, we can love those we have never met by setting the proper example of how to live now, knowing our example is just that, an example. Many young people are doomed to a life of dysfunction unless they can observe a functional family. So perhaps in the future youth work should be young people integrating into families set up the w...