Now, as Jacob went on his way back to where his father was since his mother passed away at this point, he knew that he would face his brother, Esau. God would use this situation to take away Jacob's confidence in himself and teach him to rely on Him entirely. All these years, Jacob had been using his own wisdom and strength to control his situations, and he used deceit and trickery to get his own ways. So he sent a messenger to his brother ahead of him to make peace with him. But when the messenger came back from meeting Esau, the messenger told him that his brother was coming to meet him with 400 men.
As he heard the news, he panicked and started planning on how to handle his situation. Here are the Scriptures say, "Jacob was terrified at the news. He divided his household, along with the flocks and herds and camels, into two groups. He thought, 'if Esau meets one group and attacks it, perhaps the other group can escape.'" (Genesis 32:7-8). Jacob knew what his brother, Esau, was capable of. He knew that he didn't have any chance to fight against his brother. For the first time in his life, Jacob faced a situation that was beyond his control. After he devised a plan for his survival, he prayed to God for deliverance. Jacob was about to learn a big important lesson in his life—surrendering his life to God and trusting Him completely.
There are times in our lives that God would allow us to face a situation beyond our control. His intention is not to destroy us, but he intends to teach us to trust him completely. God loves us so much that He wants to lead us in the right way. He precisely knows how to handle our situation, and as we trust in Him, we get the best possible outcome in our situation while he is conforming our character to the character that He wants us to have. God wants us to experience His presence and power in our lives. God wants to take away our anxieties, fears, and worries and replace them with our confidence in Him so that we may have His peace in our hearts. God wants us to grow in our faith in Him so that we would glorify and honor Him with our lives.
Ask yourself these questions: Why does God allow me to face situations beyond my control? What does God want me to trust Him completely? Do I trust God?
Write down all the worries that you are facing today and lift them up to God.
Prayer:
Father in Heaven, thank you that I am not alone when facing situations beyond my control. Thank you that you want me to trust you entirely and surrender my situation to you. Please help me to learn what it means to trust you completely. Please give me wisdom and provision in facing my problems today. In your name Jesus, I pray. Amen.
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