Zeb Mengistu referenced two of my favorite Old Testament stories yesterday. He had one insight that was so profound. I've never noticed it before. He said we act one way when trouble is behind us and another way when trouble is in front of us. Jacob is a great case study.
In Genesis 28, Jacob is running away from Esau who is trying to kill him. His trouble is behind him. His back is to Esau. He has an experience with God at Bethel, but he's still in what I'd call "temporal mode." He's focused on "food to eat and clothes to wear" (Genesis 28:20). That is what Jacob asks God for--food and clothes. He wants a material blessing.
But it's a different story in Genesis 32 when Jacob is returning to Esau. Trouble is in front of Him. He's facing Esau. He doesn't know if Esau still wants to kill him. He's no longer in temporal mode. He's no longer seeking a material blessing. He is seeking a spiritual blessing. He wrestles with God and says, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."
That resonates with my experience. When I'm "out of trouble" (back to Esau) I sometimes focus on material blessings. But when I'm "in trouble" (facing Esau) I seek the Lord. The trick is learning to seek God with the same intensity when we're "out of trouble" as when we're "in trouble." That's when God can trust us with the material blessings. Another way of saying it is this: when we seek a material blessing we can't be trusted with a material blessing. But when we seek a spiritual blessing we can be trusted with material blessing.
Isn't that why God blessed Saul? He didn't ask for wealth or power or fame. He asked for wisdom. And because he asked for wisdom (spiritual blessing) he got wealth and power and fame (material blessing) thrown in for free. It was a package deal.
In Genesis 28, Jacob is running away from Esau who is trying to kill him. His trouble is behind him. His back is to Esau. He has an experience with God at Bethel, but he's still in what I'd call "temporal mode." He's focused on "food to eat and clothes to wear" (Genesis 28:20). That is what Jacob asks God for--food and clothes. He wants a material blessing.
But it's a different story in Genesis 32 when Jacob is returning to Esau. Trouble is in front of Him. He's facing Esau. He doesn't know if Esau still wants to kill him. He's no longer in temporal mode. He's no longer seeking a material blessing. He is seeking a spiritual blessing. He wrestles with God and says, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."
That resonates with my experience. When I'm "out of trouble" (back to Esau) I sometimes focus on material blessings. But when I'm "in trouble" (facing Esau) I seek the Lord. The trick is learning to seek God with the same intensity when we're "out of trouble" as when we're "in trouble." That's when God can trust us with the material blessings. Another way of saying it is this: when we seek a material blessing we can't be trusted with a material blessing. But when we seek a spiritual blessing we can be trusted with material blessing.
Isn't that why God blessed Saul? He didn't ask for wealth or power or fame. He asked for wisdom. And because he asked for wisdom (spiritual blessing) he got wealth and power and fame (material blessing) thrown in for free. It was a package deal.
3 Comments:
I think it was Solomon that asked for wisdom... but hey, what do i know. :-)
Brain cramps :) Blogging will do that to you :)
I have finally decided to comment on this blog machine.
I think the greatest thing about preaching a message is seeing another person not just get blessed, but kind of piggy back off the idea and digging out something for themselves. It then becomes personal.
You had some great stuff here Pst. Mark- I might piggy- back off it myself.
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