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The patriarch, Jacob, had dealt with his fears before. He had wrestled with God and prevailed and had heard over and over that God was with him, but still, he feared to meet Esau again. He expected the worst. To his surprise, though, this is what actually happened.
Genesis 33:4 “But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.”
Think of the worry and the toil in Jacob’s mind as he thought of this day. Now compare this to how often you battle made-up scenarios in your mind, only to come to the day you’ve been anticipating and find that it’s nothing like you thought.
Trust God and let Him deal with the outcomes, whatever they may be, and you will find peace in your life.
There’s a reason God doesn’t always tell us the outcome ahead of time. When we learn to trust Him in the unknown, we grow in patience and faith, and that is of far greater value than having all the details right now.
Jacob saw the face of his brother and rather than seeing the murderer he expected to see, he said it was like “seeing the face of God.” He realized that God had shown him much mercy, as we often realize when outcomes are better than we deserve and let’s face it, most are.
My encouragement to you is to depend on God’s mercy and not on your own understanding of your situation. Trust Him, and in light of His mercy, show mercy to others. Go through all circumstances with faith, and when you start to speculate the worst possible outcomes, remember to lean on Him. It will probably not turn out the way you imagine. Even if it does, God is faithful still and has a purpose in all of it, namely to glorify Himself through your surrendered life.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and he will direct your path.” Proverbs 3:5-6
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6
Joel Littlefield is the assistant pastor and worship leader at Calvary Chapel in Crossville, Tennessee. He is married to Callie, and they have 3 children: Micah, Nathanael, and Aliyah.
