What is absolutely shocking is Jacob seems to be the less desirable to actually get the name "Israel" of the lineage beginning with Abraham, his grandfather, and Isaac, his father. He is a deceiver, cheat, and scoundrel, and permits his Mom to manipulate his Dad for his sake. This is going to be the man God names His people after?
How? Why?
There is only one answer and it is simply one word...grace. I am being challenged by God's grace in the life of Jacob. I have had a working definition of grace for many years. "It is God's enabling power to be and do what God calls you to do."
But Jacob is causing me to expand that definition. God's grace is not clean and understandable. It is complex and confusing. God's actions from His generous heart are always right and proper. They can never be anything else but right. So, when God sets His favor (grace) on someone, what He does is right and proper. Yet, at times, it surprises us - no, shocks us.
Then I remember myself. I know more about myself than Jacob. And I know of the times I have been far worse than Jacob as the sinner I am. And yet God's grace...He gives us His grace in spite of our failures and faults.
G. Campbell Morgan once said the most beautiful word in our language is grace. God's grace is free, unmerited, unconditional favor of God on us - who are all sinners.
Robert McAfee Brown wrote: "That's what grace is - God hanging with us whether we deserve it or not, loving us no matter how unloveable we may be, and refusing to give up on us, no matter how discouraging it may become."
So the next time I am complexed about why God is using or blessing so-and-so, or "that" person - I need to be reminded I am worse than them all and if God uses me or blesses me is only due to one thing - His grace.
Blessings;
David
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