A few weeks back we had dinner with our friends Brian and Divina. Part of our dinner conversation included a discussion about the difference between Jacob and Esau.
Why did he love one and hate the other?
On the outside Jacob appeared to be a sneaky swindler...he deceitfully took his brother's birthright and blessing...yet God loved him.
We came to the conclusion that Esau was lukewarm. Jacob wanted God's blessing desperately and would do anything to get it.
The night that Jacob wrestled with the Angel of the Lord (Jesus) until day break...until He touched the socket of His hip...Jacob was broken. He no longer tried to scheme to get God's blessing, he had it and was now aware of his inability to obtain it by his own strength.
Jacob was desperate and broken! This is what God wants most from us.
Esau was comfortable and complacent. This is what God hates.
Jerome and Brian have been best friends for over 10 years. They have ministered to hundreds of people over the years...together. My husband connects with Brian more than I have ever seen him connect with anyone. They have the same silly, juvenile humor :) They love to laugh. They love to worship. They have hearts for the underdogs. They love people. They have a desperate and broken heart before God.
Jerome was a drug dealer until he was 21 years old He was in and out of jail. He got his finger shot off over 10 ounces of cocaine. He had a dysfunctional relationship with his parents. He had no church experience until after he became a christian.
Brian was raised in a baptist church. He became a christian as a young boy. He grew up in the youth group. He was in the choir. He has a precious, godly family.
Jerome and Brian are both Jacobs.
God doesn't require us to be from a screwed up back ground to be desperate and broken. Brian is proof of this. He does however want everything from us no matter what back ground we are from.
We discussed at dinner how many Esaus are in the body of Christ. How many are comfortable and complacent instead of desperate and broken.
If more of us were Jacobs we would see a revival like never before.
I pray that God will allow our boys to go thru whatever necessary for them to be desperate and broken. I pray it doesn't take what it did for Jerome. I pray the path in front of them looks more like Brian's. I pray they have the heart of Jacob whether they grow up in the church or spend a season as a prodigal son.
I pray that God would raise up more and more Jacobs in the body of Christ!
Do you relate more with Jacob or Esau?
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5 comments:
What a great post. What a wonderful thing the Lord showed you as you spent time with the Bruss'.
I relate more to Jacob, I suppose. Not saying I haven't been lukewarm, but I am definitely to the place where I want brokenness in my life in order to hear the sweet words of my Lord.
Me too Cindy!!!!
Boy, honestly, I fall into the lukewarmness enough that it does need to be confessed :(
Thank you for sharing this testimony of Jerome and Brian in a way that allows this Old Testament story to come alive.
Blessing on you for sharing the Word in this way!
I am totally a Jacob but I have had many Esau seasons in my life. I love deeply and strongly as Jacob. Wanting EVERYTHING God will allow me to experience of Him in my heart and in my life! Yet, there are times in my fear, that I choose a lesser path than the one God had called me to walk upon. There is nothing that penetrates my being more with sadness than the thought that I let go of a "greatness" God had in His Hands to give me. And that I grieved Him in saying no, Lord, I can't right now. My prayer is that I live as Jacob with fervor and passion more and more as each day passes. Thank you Shanna for stirring up my spirit with this question. :)
I love His Word......
I pray in agreement with you right now!
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