Waiting for God's Blessings

      I've been rereading through the story of Jacob in the Bible lately. The poor kid had trouble from the very beginning! Even while still in his mother's womb, the Bible says Rebekah could feel Jacob and his brother wrestling inside her. Well his brother wins that battle and comes out first and then when he does finally come out, his parents name him "deceiver"! Who does that to their kid? I mean seriously, talk about emotional baggage from the beginning! Needless to say, Jacob had problems early on in life.
But he was also called by God to a remarkable purpose early in life. God told Rebekah,

"Two nations are in your womb,

Two peoples shall be separated from your body;

One shall be stronger than the other, 

and the older shall serve the younger." Genesis 25:23

      God called Jacob to a great purpose; he would become a great nation. But as the younger brother, he would get nothing from his father. Jacob believed God would make him into a great nation, but he was so fixed on what he thought he should have, that he missed all that God was offering him. Jacob only thought in terms of his culture, of the blessing his brother would get instead of him. So he lived up to the label that was given him: deceiver. He deceived his brother out of his birthright, taking all the land that would have one day been Esau's. Then when his father was old and sick, Jacob did, what I think was the worst thing of his life: he deceived his father and stole his brother's blessing.

      Jacob grew impatiant with God's promises. Something that I've been finding myself doing lately as well. He couldn't wait for God's timing. And his vision wouldn't go beyond the blessings in front of him that were to go to his brother. So he tried to take matters into his own hands and steal a blessing for himself. Yet all along, God had another more grander plan in mind for Jacob. When he was out in the wilderness (running from his angry brother, no less) God showed Jacob what his blessing was. He gave him a vision of Angels climbing up and down a ladder to Heaven. God showed Jacob that his blessing was higher than just earthly things. God wanted to bless Jacob beyond his imaginings and give him a heavenly blessing as well.

      I wonder how many times we miss what God has planned for us, simply because we get impatient waiting on Him. We see all that's in front of us and naturally assume that's what God wants to give us, so we try to take it. But usually, the blessings right in front of our face are for someone else. God wants to grow us, expand us, and give us things we can't imagine. It's always more with God, never less. So when we wait on Him and His promises, we get a higher blessing; a heavenly Kingdom blessing. God is always faithful to complete His promises.

"Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we don't lose heart." Galations 6:9