FACE TO FACE
REPLENISH: FILL UP WITH GOD’S GOODNESS AND LIVE FULFILLED - DAY 36
For years, I had heard about my grandfather’s brother who remained in Cuba and worked for the Communist regime. Considered the black sheep of the family, the unscrupulous man had long been deemed an outcast with no redeeming qualities. Therefore, I was shocked when I learned he would be visiting the United States, and my grandparents welcomed him as a guest in their home. Face to face with a person who had seemingly betrayed the vales our family valued, our beloved patriarchs responded with grace and refused hurl insults at the offender.
Like Abraham and Lot before them, Esau and Jacob set aside all hostility and peacefully part ways to help one another thrive in their new homeland. The original Hebrew text implies more than merely moving some distance away, but denotes that Esau saw the face of Jacob up close and chose to change direction. The two brothers had clashed over “who gets what” before, but not this time. Esau sees his brother and elects to make room for him. His deference and diplomacy show he was a man who now understood that his future was no longer determined by his brother’s schemes, but by the steadfast love of his God.
God had blessed Esau beyond his expectations, and he let go of his bitterness toward his brother. When we have experienced God’s abundant generosity, we can extend his grace to our offender and trust God will protect us. The Almighty will support us and sustain us even if others scheme against us.
Everything we have comes from the hand of God, and we need not fear facing an adversary and lacking what we need to thrive. Rather than repaying evil intentions with insults, we can respond with a blessing and mirror the heart of our merciful God. We can trust that God will never distance Himself from helping us as we move forward in faith.
FUEL FOR THOUGHT:
“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” (I Peter 3:9, NIV)
Because I am a child of God, I no longer need to worry and fret avput my advisary. I can rest assured that I have all I need from God. I can bless others by being gracious and giving them what they may need because my /god gives abundantly and the supply willnot end when needed.