Genesis: Week 6 (Southaven)

The life of Jacob puts the grace and faithfulness of God on full display. Jacob was a deceiver and manipulator from the start. He was not deserving of God’s favor. But God had made a promise to Abraham and Isaac that extended to Jacob. In His grace, God moved Jacob patiently through one learning and growth opportunity after another. God allowed difficult and challenging circumstances, but He used all of it to grow faith in Jacob. Although stubborn and sometimes a slow learner, Jacob learned to trust God and surrender to His will. And God continued to work faithfully, encouraging Jacob with powerful experiences of God’s presence—wrestling with God, a vision from God, and miraculous reconciliation with his brother, Esau. Today, God is still patient. He graciously and patiently gives us opportunities to learn and grow in faith. He encourages us and invites us through circumstances and, sometimes, through miraculous works of His hand.