Wed.’s Devo - Facing Our Fears

Read: Genesis 31:17-32:12; Matthew 10:24-11:6; Psalm 13:1-6; Provers 3:16-18 Jacob was fleeing from Laban secretly, to go back to his homeland. On the way, he would have to face the one who had tricked him repeatedly (Laban) and the one he had tricked and done wrong (Esau). Sometimes we need to experience what we have dealt out to others to understand its severity and our need to repent. Jacob reaped in Laban what he had done to Esau. *** When Laban found out Jacob had left, he went after him. The night before he caught up with him, God came to Laban in a dream and told him to leave Jacob alone. But, it didn’t keep him from letting him have it with his words. What he was really saying was, ‘I can’t believe you broke out of my control.’ He was more upset over loosing his stuff than the welfare of Jacob and his family. He was most upset about someone stealing his household gods. *** Jacob told him to search for his gods and pronounced a curse of death over whoever had them. This came true. Rachel had taken them and hidden them. She would later die in childbirth to Benjamin. *** When Laban didn’t find his gods, Jacob felt emboldened to speak and he told Laban exactly why he had left and how wrongly Laban had treated him. There was nothing Laban could say in defense. Laban had lost his control, so he now wanted to make a covenant of peace so Jacob wouldn’t one day decide to take out vengeance on him. They made a peace treaty and put up a pile of stones to mark their agreement and it became a boundary line that neither would cross to harm the other. *** Laban left the next day after blessing his daughters and his grandchildren. Jacob went the other way and encountered some of God’s angels. He realized he had happened upon a camp of angels. He called the place Mahanaim which means ‘double camp’. *** Next, Jacob had to meet Esau, the one he had tricked and wronged. He sent messengers ahead of him to feel out Esau’s attitude towards him. He sent gifts with them to pacify any anger Esau might have. The messengers returned with news that Esau was on his way to meet him with an army of 400 men. Because of his guilt, he couldn’t imagine that maybe it was a welcoming party of 400. *** Jacob panicked. He divided his group into three groups leaving his family in the last group. Then he prayed that God would protect them and reminded the Lord of the promises he had given him to make him into a multitude of people. In Matthew, Jesus made it clear that he was their master and he was being called the prince of demons, so we should expect to be accused of being demons also. Jesus told us not to be afraid of those who threaten us because God is going to reveal the truth about everything that is done in secret. He told us not to be afraid of those who want to kill us because they can’t kill our soul. God sees everything and will reward everyone according to their deeds. *** Jesus told us that he didn’t come to bring peace on earth first, but a sword to cut through the lies and hypocrisy. He came to expose evil and reward faithfulness. We are to support other believers, like we would have wanted to support Jesus when he walked the earth. *** John the Baptist was in prison for his testimony of Christ and he knew the Messiah would ‘set the prisoner free’ according to Isaiah. Since Christ was not doing that for him, he sent a message to Jesus asking him it he was the Messiah or if they should wait for someone else. Jesus sent him a message back reminding John of the miracles he was doing and then said, “and blessed are those who are not offended in me.” He was saying to John, instead of being offended by what I am not doing, look at what I am doing. *** What a good word for us. It is so easy to let one unanswered prayer take away the blessing of all the answered prayers God has done. That is why we need to constantly remind ourselves of the things God has done for us, and know that he is always at work. *** Lord, thank you for your perfect timing. Thank you that your ways are so much better and higher than ours. May we trust in your ways, your timing and your results. We trust in your unfailing love and goodness to us.