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I’m proud, stubborn, envious, cynical, and prone to anger—even if I don’t show it. Sometimes I wonder how God could ever make any use of me.
Believe it or not, I draw encouragement from Jacob (Genesis 25-50)—the J.R. Ewing of the Old Testament. His life was more misses than hits—a son only a mother could love.
Jacob’s name means he clutches, overtakes or supplants. He got the name for grasping his twin brother’s heel at birth after several wrestling matches in their mother’s womb. Jacob turned out to be a deceiver and manipulator.
You could say he got what he deserved. He took refuge with an uncle, more cunning than himself, to escape a brother bent on killing him for stealing the birthright. Uncle Laban tricked Jacob into marrying his homely, eldest daughter after Jacob worked seven hard years for the younger sister’s hand. Then good ole Uncle required him to work another seven years for the girl who made his heart palpitate. Laban profited, and Jacob felt underappreciated. Jacob tried to get even through some primitive genetic engineering, wore out his welcome, and fled once more to an uncertain future.
On his way home, Jacob’s brother came out to meet him. Jacob resorted to a bribe to appease him, but his brother had already processed his anger and welcomed him with a hug. Jacob was still clutching when he wrestled with an angel, but with a subtle difference. Now he was grasping for something of real value—a blessing. Now he was seeking from the right source—God. God even changed his name from Jacob to Israel, from deceiver to he struggles with God. And God’s good with that!
One might suspect that Heaven’s HRD was out on vacation when Jacob was hired, but God loved Jacob and poured upon him the same blessings and promises He made to Abraham and Isaac. Although Jacob took the long way home, God’s grace and mercy ultimately changed him.
When I look at myself, I see a life of hits and misses—just like Jacob. Some days I throw up my hands and say, “I’m a child only God could love.” Fortunately—He does!
Copyright © 2010 by David Harlen Brooks
