Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
These are the great fore-fathers in the Old Testament. The old G's of the bible if you will. We know their caliber is top-notch considering that some people open their prayers with the mention of their names...
Oh, Sovereign God, father of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob...
Needless to say, they were highly esteemed by both God and man. They were exceedingly blessed. God promised them great things. God also delivered on those promises. So much so that today we look towards these men as an example of how God blesses those He calls.
Yet, as I read Genesis 32-37 it was revealed to me that Jacob had his fair share of trouble. We know he literally wrestled with God all night long, which resulted in a displaced hip. And then, just like you and me, God placed Jacob in a predicament that just didn't make sense to him.
God told Jacob to go to his brother. Now, that may not seem like a big deal... but if you stole your brother's birthright and your brother's blessing and then God asks you to go to your brother (knowing full-well that your brother wanted to kill you the last time he saw you) then going to your brother is not the most ideal location in the world.
But that's exactly were God told Jacob to go.
So of course, Jacob wondered about God's intent. God made Jacob some grand promises. But to go back to his brother, Esau, well... that just seemed like a blatant contradiction to what God promised. Here's Jacob's spill on the whole ordeal:
And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good," I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude." (Genesis 32: 9-12, ESV)
What I admire about Jacob is that despite what it looked like, he did as God said. Although it didn't look promising, he went where God told him to go. It looked like God was sending him to his doom, but Jacob went ahead anyhow. But the beautiful part of the story is when he came face to face with Esau. When Esau saw Jacob, he kissed, embraced, and welcomed his brother with open arms.
Isn't it amazing how Jacob was worried about his enemy but God had already pricked the enemy's heart? Someone who was rightfully so an enemy of Jacob was now an ally... it's just crazy how God works things out for His children.
But as his life went on, Jacob lost his wife, Rachel. She died while giving birth to their son, Benjamin. Then later on in life, Jacob's most beloved son, Joseph, was betrayed by his brothers. The brothers sold Joseph into slavery because of their jealousy. Of course Jacob had no clue he was sold into slavery. His sons lied to him and told him that Joseph was tragically killed.
Imagine Jacob's grief. He lost his wife, and as far as he knew he lost his son too. Technically speaking, he did lose his son because he was no longer in his life. Jacob went through some tough times! His life was not an easy life... but it was a blessed life.
Jacob had his moments of not understanding what God was doing or why God was doing it. Jacob had his moments of fighting for his blessings. Jacob had his moments of physical pain when God dislocated his hip. Jacob had his moments of emotional pain when he lost his loved ones.
But again, Jacob was blessed!
God promised him great things and God delivered on those promises in due time. So, please understand that just because God promises His children great things, it does not mean those children won't have hardships. His blessings are not void of struggles. But cheer up! Please cheer up!
If you are going through to get a blessing, you are in good company. The greats of the bible had the same sentiments as you. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all had their fair share of troubles. But God knows they also had more than their fair share of blessings.
Keep going y'all. We all have to go through trouble sometimes, but keep going. The blessing for Jacob was on the other side of him pressing forward despite his fear, his pain, and his heartache. You're in the same boat as some of the most blessed people in history. Your bad experiences are the same bad experiences the elites had... but on the flipside your blessings could be on the same caliber as the elites' blessings as well. So, just keep going, and remember, you're in good company.