'Kindness And Favour Cannot Be Bought.'
Genesis 33:8.
a) Jacob thought that kindness and favour could be bought.
b) Esau asked the meaning of the herds that he met.
c) Jacob replied that they were a gift to buy Esau's kindness,
d) He replied that he was seeking Esau's favour.
(This QT reminds me that Kindness And Favour Cannot Be Bought)
PRAYER: For genuine manifestations of Kindness and Favour in the Body of Christ.
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'Sharing In Christ's Sufferings.'
Romans 8:17.
a) Now if we are children,
b) We are also heirs.
c) We are God's heirs and fellow-heirs with Christ,
d) If indeed we share in His Sufferings
e) In order that
f) We may also share in His Glory.
(Through this Second one I understand that Sharing In Christ's Sufferings may well also be a part of God's Plan)
PRAYER: To accept the Will of God for our lives, whatever it means.
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Chris.
Jacob's heart was very pure in this instance, he genuinely wanted to have a restored relationship with Esau. He was seeking Esau's favour, the big problem here was that favour cannot be bought, it can only be given. This was not cunning manipulation, it was a real desire for reconciliation that came from Jacob's heart. There is a simple lesson here for all of us to learn - favour cannot be bought, it can only be given. If we try to buy someone's favour, the likelihood is that there will be more hurt and confusion on every side. I think that the big 'hidden lesson' here is to try to keep our hearts simple and pure. We should not become complicated and manipulative.
