Faith and Family: When Deceit Meets Grace

And so, by manipulating getting the birthright, he gets a double inheritance, not a spiritual inheritance, but also a double of wealth, too, and the authority of the family. But now, he's on the run, he's left all that, because he did it with deception and sin. And last week, we kind of saw him hit rock bottom, literally, he's hit on a rock and having to sleep, maybe at this place of failure. But in this place, where his head's on the rock, asleep, he has a dream that God comes and reveals to him, and he sees this ladder, these angels descending and ascending, and God, there, in this moment, when he's on the rock bottom, confirms his covenant with him. And in the chaos, and the brokenness, and the messiness, and dysfunction of family and sin, God speaks words of grace and promise to Jacob. It's a beautiful moment. [00:30:05] (65 seconds)  #GraceInBrokenness

So Jacob is watching that promise be fulfilled of 28, 15 that we keep referring to. It's this. I am with you and will keep you wherever you go. I am with you and will keep you wherever you go. Even when you made a mess of things, even when you're running from your consequences of your own, your own sin, God's promise still stands. His grace is greater than your greatest sin. He doesn't abandon us to our failures. He leads us through our wilderness. He gives us strength to endure the wilderness. He gives us hope in the wilderness, and he brings us to places of blessing. [00:39:47] (53 seconds)  #GodsPromiseEndures

Jacob's painful experience becomes a mirror in his own heart. God uses a situation that humbled Jacob to shape his character and teach him to depend. Not on his own cleverness, not on his own abilities, but on the God's grace and grace alone. See, sometimes God's going to allow us to experience the very thing we've done to others. [00:46:15] (27 seconds)  #RefinedByGrace

But here's what I learned and what Jacob's learning. God was not punishing him. This flipping of tables was not a punishment. It was not a rubbing in his face, see how bad you were. No, it was a time of refining. It was a time of, man, you got some edges on you that are hurting other people and you don't see it and I want to smooth those edges off. And so the goal has not, God is out to get revenge on me and punish me for all I've done. No, it's a God who's coming to redeem what you've done and to use that to shape and mold you into a person who can trust God as mercy and not rely on his own wisdom and ability. See, what God is really doing, is saving you from yourself. Because often in life, the worst enemy in your life is you. Not everybody else. It's you. [00:48:32] (78 seconds)  #LongingToPraise

God loves you. He loves you enough, not just to leave you the way you are. And sometimes that change, it's going to sting a little bit. But he does that to save you from the damage you would do to others and yourself. It's part of the journey. And realize this is grace and mercy of God, not punishment. Not to get angry and all justified and push God off, but actually in those moments when it's hard to not rationalize, but just to embrace the shaping, the molding. [00:50:12] (49 seconds)  #GraceInImperfection

Look, our families, our families are messy. They're filled with imperfection and brokenness and sometimes pain. But God's grace still works through them. He doesn't wait for protection. He doesn't, he brings his redemption work through the imperfect. And we need to be a little bit more like Leah. To stop focusing all the imperfect. Stop trying to get everyone to love us and make everything right and focus on the only one that is perfect and let the perfect grace live in us and realize that you are loved and praise the Lord. [00:53:42] (37 seconds)  #FaithfulInFailure

Here's what we see in the story. As Jesus' ultimate fulfillment of this story, just as Jacob worked and suffered for his bride, the church, Christ came and served and suffered for his bride, the church. Jesus was deceived. He was betrayed. He was rejected. And yet through the cross, he brought forth redemption and reconciliation for the world, for sinners like you and I. Through his blood, even our family messes, our relationship pain, our past deceit, our forgiveness. We are all forgiven. In him, we are made new. We are cleansed from all our unrighteousness. We are a new creation. We are the ones who were unloved, are now loved, who were rejected or chosen, were broken, redeemed. [00:54:24] (45 seconds)  #PraiseThroughChaos

Jacob's story in Genesis 20 of mine reminds us that God's faithfulness is bigger than any of our failures. And our failures are not final. He leads the lost humble. He leads the lost. He humbles the proud. He heals the brokenhearted. And brings salvation amongst human sin. When life feels tangled and messy, when you feel like it's all far and apart, remember, God's grace is still at work. He's writing his redemptive story. Even in the middle of your family drama. So be like Leah. In the midst of it all, let's say, you know what? Despite everything, I'm going to praise the Lord. Because he's at work. And he's here. [00:55:42] (53 seconds)  #TrustingGodsPurpose

And the good news is God is faithful. He did what he said he did. He kept his promises of the word and sent his son, Jesus Christ, who did suffer and die for you and I. And by his blood, we have been cleansed from all our unrighteousness. [00:57:58] (16 seconds)