Betrayal, struggle, wrestling, and redemption. These are the components of a great story. Many of us have been through these seasons. Maybe you are in one of these seasons now. In this message, Pastor Eric Robertson shares the story of Jacob.
Providence is the tension between my ability to choose my next step and God’s ability to choose it for me.
God working behind the scenes to bring about His will and our good, both with and without our participation.
Jacob’s story is a story of God’s providence, bringing about His will and Jacob’s good in the life of someone who lived almost entirely for himself.
· Jacob’s choices tell us something about ourselves: We sometimes would rather take from God what He already wanted to give us.
· God was with Jacob, but Jacob’s decisions had real consequences. God may guide our destinies, but our decisions determine the difficulty/detours.
· Even when think we have what we want, a fugitive never rests easy. You may be running from God, but in His house is where you belong and Jacob feels this, so this he flees back home…
· Jacob walks away from a God-encounter with a limp, but also with a new name. Your past is going to leave scars, but your scars don’t determine your identity, God does.
· His whole life, Jacob took blessing he wasn’t given. That night he finally asked for one, and he waited, wrestling until morning, to receive it. Peace requires patience. Blessing requires submission. Destiny requires a new name with a new limp.
· Jacob spent his life taking, but everything he went through led him to this moment of receiving. Every misstep, every poor decision redeemed by God, almost like it was the plan the whole time.
· God can redeem your pain, your tragedy, and your mistakes. No matter how far of a detour you’ve taken, God can fix it.
· Providence doesn’t answer the question as to whether something was going to happen along. It does make us more comfortable with saying “I don’t know, but I trust Him.”
Are you trusting God with your future?