Thursday 28 November 2013

HOW TO HANDLING DIFFICULT OR LIFE-THREATENING SITUATIONS

I was pondering on the story of Esau and how he handled what seems like a difficult situation for him. He threw caution to the wind and just thought about the now forgetting tomorrow. Let us look at the story of Esau together from

Genesis 25: 27-34:

27 As the boys grew up. Esau became a skillful hunter. He was an outdoorsman, but Jacob had a quiet temperament, preferring to stay at home. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry.

30 Esau said to Jacob, ‘I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!’ (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means ‘red’.) 31 ‘All right,’ Jacob replied, ‘but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.’ 32 ‘Look, I’m dying of starvation!’ said Esau. ‘What good is my birthright to me now?’ 33 But Jacob said, ‘First you must swear that your birthright is mine.’ So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.

Before we begin to find faults in Esau’s actions, how do we handle life-threatening situations? Do we hold on to our rights as daughters of the Most High knowing that come what may, He will never leave us nor forsake us or do we look for alternative options thereby showing contempt for our rights as daughters of the Kingdom?

Humanly speaking, in the face of such situations, we tend to look out for alternative options because we feel God is too slow or He is probably sleeping or has gone on leave. The truth is even though it seems as if He is not acting, He is definitely working behind the scene. I asked myself, what would have happened to Esau if he didn’t eat that stew at that point? I don’t think he would have died anyway but gratifying the now made him act the way he did.

What do you do when your house rent is almost due and you have been praying and probably fasting and nothing is forth coming but there is this boss of yours who has offered you 5 times the amount of your house rent if you just spend one night with him? Do you settle for less or wait for God to act?

As difficult as these scenario seems, there is always a blessing attached to waiting and holding on to God. I love the way the Psalmist put it in Psalm 37:25:

I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor
his seed begging bread.

No matter how slow God seems, the good news is, He is always on time, on point and ever reliable. I want to encourage us this morning, that holding on to God in the face of life-threatening situations may not make sense but it is always the best of every other option available so that we can take full delivery of the blessings of waiting. We know that when Esau earnestly coveted his father’s blessings as the firstborn, he lost it because he had treated his birthright with contempt. May we not miss our blessings because of a careless decision in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

No matter how inviting that option seems, it may hold nothing but regrets at the end of the day, why not hold on for God’s best instead of future regrets. I know beyond a doubt that God will come through for us in that very situation. The year is running to an end, bills are piling, expenses are increasing and there seems to be no way out, my darling friends, never settle for less, wait for God’s very best and you will never regret you did.

My pray is that may the Lord
, give us  double grace to hold on in the face of challenges, not to loose focus or be discouraged but to wait and be patient, amen. God bless you real good!

By Onome kunle-Oyedokn

 

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