Daily Devotion

Jacob should have known better. He grew up experiencing the repercussions of his parents’ overt favoritism, yet it seems he couldn’t help himself.

There are many so-called “Christian leaders” who teach that life with Jesus is all smooth sailing. Follow Jesus, and you will be healthy, wealthy, and wise. Any challenge is treated as a demonic attack and should be “rebuked in the name of Jesus.”  

This is not what we learn when we study the lives of God’s people. Let’s wrap up our look at Jacob’s life with a few observations.

Jacob’s life was filled with tension. Do you ever feel that way? As if every direction you turn brings another daunting challenge?

Weekend Recharge!

Weekend Recharge!

Rejected. Invisible. Lonely. Unloved. Pushed aside. Have you ever felt that way? Leah always came in second. Scripture reveals that her younger sister Rachel was “beautiful in form and appearance,” while Leah’s eyes lacked brightness and luster (Gen. 29:17).

Let’s start today with a question: When did you own your faith? I’m not asking when you trusted in Jesus. Certainly, that’s where it all began. But when did you have an experience—perhaps a challenge or a great blessing—that turned your simple trust in Jesus into a definite commitment to walk with him? I believe God’s story in Jacob’s life can help clarify our answer.

It sometimes surprises me how much Scripture reveals about the significant family issues Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the patriarchs of the people through whom God would send his Son—faced. We have seen how Abraham and Sarah's family dynamics were altered and the challenges that arose when Hagar and Ishmael entered their household. We will also read about many difficult and often distressing circumstances that created emotional upheaval and tension among Jacob, Leah, Rachel, and their twelve sons. Today, let’s consider the home life of Isaac, Rebekah, and their sons. 

What comes to mind when you read or hear the word “compromise”? It’s not always a bad thing. Every healthy relationship involves give-and-take. No one should always get their way. But when we compromise in our relationship with God, we set ourselves up for failure. Let’s consider the dangers of spiritual compromise through the story of Lot, which begins in Genesis 13.