three crisis point words…

jacob begins the road home when four significant things start to turn his life in the right direction.  

1.         he begins to follow GOD’s direction in his life. 

2.         he begins to recognize GOD’s protection. 

3.         jacob begins to recognize GOD’s blessing.  in genesis 31.42 (niv) he says to laban, if the GOD of my father, the GOD of abraham and isaac had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty handed.  it’s not his schemes anymore that are getting the credit.  for one of the first times he’s able to say, “i know if GOD hadn’t been there, the blessings wouldn’t have been there either.”  he’s starting to turn the corner.  he’s starting to head the right way in his life. 

4.         he admits his fear.  all of his life he had been afraid.  that’s why he ran from esau.  he was afraid of being killed.  that’s why he never confronted laban.  he was afraid of being rejected.  he was afraid of losing his wives, afraid of losing his flocks and his prosperity.  all of his life although he had met GOD at bethel and GOD said, “I’m going to bless your life, you can count on it”, he had run in fear.  that fear had made him into a manipulator and deceiver. 

so laban comes and confronts him and says, “why have you done this?  why have you taken the flocks?  why have you taken my children?”  chapter 31.31(nic) three crisis point words, jacob answers laban “i was afraid.”  he admits it.  this is a man, who probably never had a day go by when he wasn’t filled with fear, who admits his fear. 

those four things allow him to begin to turn the corner.

just a thought from the front porch…