All Devotions

Solutions that seem right to a person…

Esau heard and saw his younger brother being blessed by his father.  And then Jacob was sent away to find a godly wife. It seems Esau never asked his father for godly advice about whom to marry.  Nor did Esau ask the Lord God for His leading. Esau had married two women, both pagan Hitites.  […]

Observations without Communications

What Esau observed: (NASB) Genesis 28:6-7 “Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take to himself a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he charged him, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.’ 7 and that Jacob had obeyed […]

Showing Godly Love for Others

Motherhood is much like a bear with cubs.  No one dares come between a mama bear and her cubs. In the case of Rebekah, her favorite son Jacob was to be protected at all costs.  And it cost her dearly.  Because of her participation in the deception of her husband, she never saw her favorite […]

Pursue Peace

Esau was bitterly disappointed.  He did not receive the blessing he expected.  His brother Jacob had deceived their father and “took” the blessing for himself. Esau vowed to “get” Jacob by killing him after their elderly father died.  (His father lived another 20 + years!)  (Genesis 27:30-41) Esau did not pursue God in his bitter […]

Bearing Grudges Leads to Hatred

Esau was devastated.  Jacob had deceived their father into giving him the blessing Isaac had intended for Esau.  (Genesis 27:30-41) Esau was not only devastated; he was bitter, resentful and bent on revenge against his brother Jacob… his one thought, kill him after their father died.  All of this because of Esau’s unrealized desires. Have […]

 Expectations Without Fulfillment

Jacob deceived his father Isaac.  Isaac intended to bless his oldest son, Esau; but he blessed his younger son Jacob instead. (Genesis 27:5-29) Isaac asked Esau to hunt and prepare one of his favorite meals first; and in exchange, Isaac would bless his son. Can you imagine Esau as he hunted?  How his thoughts must […]

Sin of Deception…

Jacob and his mother Rebekah went to great lengths to deceive dim-sighted Isaac so he would bless Jacob with the blessings of God.  Isaac doubted which son he was blessing.  He wanted to bless Esau, the eldest – yet Isaac blessed Jacob. Jacob took Isaac a favorite meal, dressed in his brother’s clothes, put goat […]

The Deception

Jacob “bought in” to his mother, Rebekah’s scheme to deceive Isaac into giving him the blessing which Isaac fully intended to give Esau. Jacob provided the meat for the meal he would take to his father, Isaac.  Rebekah prepared a favorite dish of Isaac’s.  They had concern that Jacob would be “found out” by Isaac.  […]

The Lord knows your heart…

The Lord knows your heart… He knows your thoughts and your motives.  Do you understand the winding avenues and lightning flashes of your thoughts?  Not always.  What does the Lord say about your heart and motives? (NASB) Jeremiah 17:9-10 “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? […]

Deceptions are self-serving and self-deceiving

Deception is using wrong methods to get what we want.  Deception lies to others. Deception is not honest or straight forward; it is not a “sunshine law.”  (A “sunshine law” is transparency; open for anyone to see.) Among some families, deceptions are practiced.  Such an example is the family of Isaac and Rebekah. Isaac asked […]