No Short Cuts.

Recently, I had to help someone with a big task, and it meant a lot of waiting around. I had not been to this shopping centre since my teen years and I did not mark where the car was. You could say I had a "Sanguine moment" (a personality that does not like detail), and got lost. I had the presence of mind to ask a security guard and eventually found it. But, I tried to take a short cut to where I thought the car was, and it failed!

Reading today's bible story reminded me of my own problem. Rebekah, Isaac's wife was told that by God her son Jacob (the younger twin, later called Israel), would be the one to rule over the older Esau (also called "Edom"). Between Jacob stealing the birthright, and again the blessing (both were interconnected in the culture of the day), it cost him many years of his life away from home and all he knew. He tried the short cut and he lost.

Jacob would reap the bitterness of being deceived by Laban (Rebekah's brother) with his wages (dark coloured and striped livestock), and promised the wrong sister, by hard work that was over 20 years! In that time, he learnt to rely on God alone, and eventually returned home to his family in Canaan, a very different man than when he left. The arrogance was replaced with humility, and he repaired the wrongs with Esau.

Leaving all in God's hands can be scary and it may seem that the hard work never ends, just like in Jacob's case. Ann Landers once quoted "Opportunities are usually disguised by hard work, so most people don't recognise them". For Jacob, it was true. He learned to be a better husband, brother and son. We need to switch off from our own voice, other's voices and the Devil who would convince us that taking the easy road is right.

We may not like the season we are in, but God has a reason for it. God knows our heart and where we want to be, even though the road is long. The temptation to complain about the journey is strong, and to circumvent the process. Today's story prompts us to remember that our loving God has cares so much about us, and knows the timings that are best suited. Let's us rejoice in our paths with God today!