Living Life with
Changes
From congregational readings in Genesis 31-34, Feb 24,
‘08 – bk@kluth.org
1 - Heads up - Know when it’s time to go
Gen
31:1-7,14-16 Jacob
heard that Laban's sons were saying, "Jacob has
taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what
belonged to our father." And Jacob noticed that Laban's
attitude toward him was not what it had been. Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Go back to
the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you." So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come
out to the fields where his flocks were. He said to them, "I see that your
father's attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father
has been with me. You know that I've worked for your father with all my
strength, yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times.
However, God has not allowed him to harm me…(Then
Rachel and Leah replied) “Surely all the wealth that God took away from our
father belongs to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you.”
2 - Heading out – moving on to the promised land
Gen 31:17 Then Jacob put his children
and his wives on camels, and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along
with all the goods he had accumulated in Paddan
Heb
11:13,16 (People of faith) admitted that they were
aliens and strangers on earth. they were longing for a
better country-a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their
God, for he has prepared a city for them.
3 - Heading into your past - - back to
the future
Gen
32:3-8
Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom…When the messengers returned to
Jacob, they said, "We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to
meet you, and four hundred men are with him." In
great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two
groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. He thought, "If Esau comes and attacks
one group, the group that is left may escape." Phil
3:13-14 One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward
what is ahead, I
press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me
heavenward in Christ Jesus.
4 - Head bowed – praying the promises
Gen
32:9-12 Then
Jacob prayed, "O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O LORD,
who said to me, 'Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make
you prosper,' I am unworthy of all the
kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when
I crossed this
5 - Holding on – receiving God’s
blessing
Gen
32:24-30
So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him
till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the
socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the
man. Then the man said, "Let me go,
for it is daybreak." But Jacob
replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." The man asked
him, "What is your name?"
"Jacob," he answered. Then the man said, "Your name will no
longer be Jacob, but
Eph 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
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