A Way In The WildernessSample

The Loss Of Control

When Isaac’s wife Rebekah was pregnant with Jacob and Esau, the LORD told her that two nations were in her womb. Even before they were born, they were already struggling for supremacy. Esau, the hunter, lived for immediate pleasures while Jacob, the quieter one, was more self-seeking.

At birth, Jacob grasped Esau’s heel and ever since then, it seemed like he never stopped trying to get ahead of his older brother. From tricking Esau into selling him his birthright to snatching his father’s patriarchal blessings, in all these Jacob was defiant. While the LORD did say, “the older will eventually serve the younger”, the LORD never said to do it Jacob’s own way.  

On the eve of meeting Esau after many years of tension, Jacob met with God and wrestled with Him. In that match, even though Jacob was hurt and defeated, he was not willing to let Him go until he received His blessing. Why was he so persistent? Perhaps he was desperate, knowing he would have to face his ultimate fear the next day when he was to meet Esau.

Jacob never found out the name of the man who dislocated his hip, but because he survived the struggle, it comforted him to know that he would have been able to withstand an attack from Esau. 

When Jacob finally met his brother, he was surprised. Esau, his most fearsome adversary, received him with open arms. It was at that moment that Jacob realized it was his own fear that made him a coward to himself.

Jacob feared losing control. He feared not getting ahead. No one was holding him back but himself. When Jacob finally surrendered to God, everything changed. Thereafter, Israel was born!

Sometimes, the fear of losing control can be the reason why we end up in the wilderness.  

• It is not wrong to want to get ahead in life, but are you doing it in a way that is pleasing to God?  
• What areas of your life can you let go of control and surrender to God?