“Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? This is the second time he has taken advantage of me: He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing!” Then he asked, “Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?”
Genesis 27:36
All week we have been expanding on the thought that authentic worship requires our focus. We learned that we ought to focus on Gods’ presence over His power and His peace over prestige. Yesterday we looked at focusing on people over possessions. Today we take a look at our focus being on Gods’ plan over our own pleasures.
Gods’ plan for our life is a process as we journey through our time here on earth.
It is not based on a once for-all-time decision but we make choices to follow His plan or surrender to pleasures over and over and over again in the course of our day. When we focus on Gods plan, and obediently respond to it we are taking a long term view of what is right. When we surrender to our flesh and our own desires it is for the short term pleasures we can derive from that surrender.
Esau is an example of surrendering to the desires of the flesh for short term gain over holding fast to see the plans of God fulfilled. He was hungry and allowed that hunger to determine his choice of eating Jacob’s stew rather than the birthright and the godly inheritance it carried.
As the Word of God puts it: “…he despised the birthright…”
No doubt all of his natural senses were beckoning him to make the short term choice. The stew smelled good, it was likely pleasant to look at for someone who was hungry, certainly it would taste good and it carried the promise of immediate satisfaction to his growling stomach.
When we choose our own immediate pleasures over the plan of God we are, like Esau, choosing our flesh rather than God. Sure there was a full stomach then but, as we read there was a bitter pill later.
“… or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.
Hebrews 12:16-17
Choose God’s plans and reject the fleeting, momentary pleasures which serve to draw away your focus and rob you of a blessing.
Genesis 27:36
All week we have been expanding on the thought that authentic worship requires our focus. We learned that we ought to focus on Gods’ presence over His power and His peace over prestige. Yesterday we looked at focusing on people over possessions. Today we take a look at our focus being on Gods’ plan over our own pleasures.
Gods’ plan for our life is a process as we journey through our time here on earth.
It is not based on a once for-all-time decision but we make choices to follow His plan or surrender to pleasures over and over and over again in the course of our day. When we focus on Gods plan, and obediently respond to it we are taking a long term view of what is right. When we surrender to our flesh and our own desires it is for the short term pleasures we can derive from that surrender.
Esau is an example of surrendering to the desires of the flesh for short term gain over holding fast to see the plans of God fulfilled. He was hungry and allowed that hunger to determine his choice of eating Jacob’s stew rather than the birthright and the godly inheritance it carried.
As the Word of God puts it: “…he despised the birthright…”
No doubt all of his natural senses were beckoning him to make the short term choice. The stew smelled good, it was likely pleasant to look at for someone who was hungry, certainly it would taste good and it carried the promise of immediate satisfaction to his growling stomach.
When we choose our own immediate pleasures over the plan of God we are, like Esau, choosing our flesh rather than God. Sure there was a full stomach then but, as we read there was a bitter pill later.
“… or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.
Hebrews 12:16-17
Choose God’s plans and reject the fleeting, momentary pleasures which serve to draw away your focus and rob you of a blessing.
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