Peace by accepting God's will

In our family worship this morning we were reading about Jacob and Esau - sons of Isaac.

We often think about Esau. the oldest son, in negative ways.
He thrilled in hunting wild animals and living on his 'catch', but seemed to have no desire for 'spiritual' communion with his own heart or with God.
As firstborn, the birthright made him the 'priest' of the family, but he seemed not interested.
He 'sold' his birthright to his brother, Jacob, for a pot of 'soup' (food).

We often think of Jacob, the younger son, as the 'good boy'.
He was ever thoughtful of his parents.
He loved the Lord and longed to have a close communion with God.
As the younger son it was not for him to be the priest of the household.
But before he was born God had told his mother that the younger boy would 'prevail'.

OK. Up til this morning I pretty much saw the picture as I have sketched it above. But this times review of this story gave me some new insights.

Wild, selfish Esau looked mainly for current gratification, with no desire for spiritual issues. God gave him what he really wanted.

Even though Jacob used deception to 'get the birthright', his deepest longing was to come close to God. God gave him what he really wanted.

Both brothers had some major 'errors' in their lives. But in the long run each brother got what he longed for.

Esau wanted the 'material' part of the birthright, and he basically got it.

Jacob wanted the spiritual 'blessing', and even though the 'way' he went about to get it was 'all wrong' (deceiving his father), God still granted him his request.

I have come to the conclusion that even though Jacob paid dearly for deceiving his earthly father, his Heavenly Father 'knew his heart' and granted him his deepest desire - to know God.

What really impressed me this morning was that both brothers made wrong choices.

Both brothers did 'bad things', in a sense.

The choices of each of the boys, however, throughout their lives, showed the direction they were headed.

Esau wanted his own way.
Jacob wanted God's will for him.

God gave them both what they had chosen.

Even though Jacob had used deception and came to the point where he felt utterly disconnected from God and deeply depressed in hopeless despair because of all of his 'bad choices', God still honored the deepest desire of Jacob's heart to 'know God' and revealed Himself to Jacob - first in the vision of the ladder (representing Jesus reaching from heaven to earth) and secondly when Jesus blessed Jacob after the night of wrestling.

Esau got material 'things' but lost out on what really matters in life.

The end of Jacob's life was peace in knowing that God loved him.

Even though I have made wrong choices, gotten discouraged, disheartened and even in despair, God knows my deepest longing to know Him and He never will let me go.

Accepting that God loves me brings peace.

Accepting the God delights in me being with Him gives me joy.