a result of being rejected…

some may relate to what caused jacob to feel like he was unworthy or he wouldn’t get it.  you see, he had to find a way to get it for himself. 

remember, here’s a guy who grew up as the cook in the household while his older brother is the hunter.  here’s a man who grows up with his mother loving him and his father loving his older brother.  do you think that might have caused a few psychological problems?  possibly!  it certainly had to make him feel rejected. 

if you have ever been rejected by somebody that you love, you know what jacob must have felt like.  and one of the results of that was the feeling of unworthiness, a feeling of “i wonder if i can trust GOD to love me.” 

so jacob’s going to spend many, many years learning that GOD does love him.  because of what he went through as a child and as an adult he becomes an “i have to get it myself” kind of man.  he becomes the person of whenever GOD wants to offer him something he feels like “there’s got to be a catch in this.” 

do you ever feel this way about grace?  GOD wants to forgive me of every sin.  HE wants to take me to heaven for eternity.  and i’m just supposed to say, “i need you, your forgiveness.  i trust you.” 

but there are many of you in your honest moments who would say, “where’s the catch?  there’s got to be something more.  there’s got to be something more when we get to heaven.  there is a catch here somewhere.”  but there’s not!  it’s grace. 

so jacob flees to haran and as he flees he’s going to be hearing two voices on the way there.  and he’ll hear them for the next twenty years. 

he’ll hear the voice of his past saying to him, “you can’t.  you’re unworthy.  it won’t work.  you’ve got to get it yourself.”  then he’s going to begin to hear the voice of GOD saying, “i can.  i will.  maybe you’re not worthy but I can and I’m willing to work in your life.” 

and those two voices are going to clash.  it’s going to take him twenty years to sort out whose voice he should listen to.  but i hope it doesn’t take you that long.  but for some of you it has.  maybe today, maybe recently, you’re going to sort out which voice to listen to. 

just a thought from the front porch…