A Loving Pursuit: Part 18c (A God Who Mends Hearts)

March 3, 2015 at 9:24 am (A Loving Pursuit, Assurance, Devotional Series I Have Written, Devotional Thoughts., Discernment, Faith, Fear, Forgiveness, Glory, Grace, Guidance, Healing, Home Education, Homeschooling, Hope, Joy, Life, Lighter Burdens., Love, Mercy, Our Unchanging God, Parenting, Patience, Peace, Praise, Provision, refuge, Relaxed Homeschooling, Repentance, Resting, Restoration, shelter, Sins, Sovereignty of God, strengthening, Suffering, Thanksgiving, The Greatest Commandment, Transformation., Trusting, Truth, value, Veteran Homeschoolers, When you are afraid, When you feel bitter, When You Feel Like Crying., Wisdom, worth)

Scripture references;

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

² Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

³ When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.

⁴ For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

⁵ I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.” Psalm 32:1-5 KJV

“¹ And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids.

² And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.

³ And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

⁴ And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.

⁵ And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.

⁶ Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.

⁷ And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.

⁸ And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.

⁹ And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself.

¹⁰ And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.

¹¹ Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it.

¹² And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.

¹³ And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die.

¹⁴ Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.

¹⁵ And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find grace in the sight of my lord.

¹⁶ So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.

¹⁷ And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.

¹⁸ And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city.

¹⁹ And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for an hundred pieces of money.

²⁰ And he erected there an altar, and called it EleloheIsrael.” Genesis 33 KJV

 

I just love happy reunions! I also love it whenever a heavy burden of guilt and fear is lifted.  I know Jacob was so relieved at that moment when Esau ran to meet him, fell on his neck, and kissed him. He was relieved that he and his wives, servants, and children were safe from harm. However, that wasn’t all. There was a huge bonus. Esau poured out his love on Jacob. I keep bringing up the fact that these men were not only twins, but at this chapter of their lives they were about 100 years old, and it just amazes me. Jacob was hobbling along  because of his hip.

What a sight that must have been! I can almost hear that beautiful, stirring music like they used to play on dramatic occasions on television shows such as “Little House on the Prairie” or “Highway to Heaven”, as the two of them embraced and wept. Had Jacob memories of times when they were still boys all of those years before things started to go down hill? They were certainly two different personality types, but it’s not too far fetched to imagine that they might have had some affection for each other.

Isaac, their father, was still alive but not for long. He was close to 180 years old. It is interesting that in the 27th chapter of Genesis (about 20 years earlier) it gives the account where Jacob deceived him. It said that Isaac’s eyes were dim, and that he wanted to go ahead and bless his son Esau, because he was old and didn’t know how much longer he would live. If I have calculated everything correctly he lived 20 more years, and Rebekah, his wife, preceded him in death.

I have been crying off and on for a couple of hours now, as I think about their poor mother Rebekah, and the tears she must have shed over the years. A part of me wishes she could have lived long enough to hug them, too. I know that it was her idea for Jacob to deceive his father, but we must remember that we all come into the world as sinners. Even believers still sin. That is why scripture tells us to confess and to turn from our sins.

I have been thinking about so many families who have experienced reunions of this type, and so many families who are still waiting, so many people still kneeling in prayer…still soaking there pillows with tears.

Do you know someone who is carrying a burden like that? Perhaps there is something you might be able to do to comfort that person, and even help fill that void for them. Are you the one who is hurting? I am praying for you this very minute. Are you far away from “home” afraid to return to a loved one because of a burden of guilt? I am praying for you, too. ❤

Below is a song I found on youtube that is so moving and powerful. Please listen. I hope it blesses you.

 

 

 

Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord?  Please click here:
https://pronetoponder.wordpress.com/category/about-salvation-very-important-words/ and make sure.

Do you have a Bible? If you don’t have one, you need not worry. Just click here: www.biblegateway.com  They have many versions and translations of the Bible that you can read. Some of the best things in life are free!

 

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