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In his classic work, A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens tells the story of a man named Ebenezer Scrooge, a greedy miser who is only interested in himself. If you have read the story (or have seen one of the many film adaptations!) you know how the story progresses: Scrooge is visited by three spirits—the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. Spoiler alert for a 150+ year-old book, Scrooge does not stay the same person throughout the entire story! What you notice as you read/see this story is “character development,” with Scrooge growing from a hard-hearted individual to a man who compassionately cares for others.

In a similar vein, we have been following the “character development” of Jacob over the last few Sundays. Beginning with Genesis 25 and 26, we see Jacob manipulate Esau for his birthright and deceive his father Isaac for the blessing. In short: Jacob refuses to worship the God of his fathers, and his actions demonstrate that. However, especially in Genesis 31, we see Jacob’s understanding and relationship with God begin to change. This Sunday in Genesis 32-33, we saw several more major shifts in Jacob’s life as he places himself at the front of his entourage when meeting Esau and in him saying for the first time, “The God of my fathers is my God.”

We would be remiss if, after reading through these sections of Genesis, we concluded, “Well, this is a nice story.” Leaving it at that misses the reality that God is ultimately the one who brought this change in Jacob’s life. The God who changed Jacob’s life is the same God today who changes the lives of people who seek to follow after Him today. As a believer in Jesus Christ, understand that you have a responsibility to obey God, but also recognize that the only reason you can obey Him is because he initiated this work.

Ephesians 2:8-9—"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”

This week, I plan to apply the message in these ways:

-When I am tempted to think that I have received a blessing in my life because of my own merits, I will humbly bow before the Lord and remember that His grace is the only reason I have good things in my life.

-Furthermore, I will seek to intentionally give God praise for the gifts he has brought into my life, recognizing they are demonstrations of his graciousness.


How will you make application of the implications of Genesis 32-33?