January 25                                     Job 32 - 34

POTTAGE FOR BIRTHRIGHT

MEMORISE: ‘Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthday.’ (Heb 12:16)
READ: Hebrews 12: 14-17

Making a decision without proper consideration of its immediate or remote consequences, could be a most devastating thing to do. In Scripture, exam ples abound of people who took just one wrong step and lived thereafter to regret that action. Eve, in the Garden of Eden entertained the devil for a few minutes and that led her and Adam to plunge the entire human race into sin, slavery, sickness and death. Just one act of disobedience altered God’s plan for the human race, the consequences of which man is still reaping six thousand years later. The story could have been very different if they had simply obeyed God.

Esau, a hunter, returned one day from his trip without a catch. He was very hungry. He met his younger brother, Jacob, preparing pottage and asked for it. Jacob, who had eyed the double portion of blessings that belonged to Esau as the first-born, requested his birthright in exchange for one plate of pottage. Esau despised his birthright and agreed. Eventually, Esau sought to have his birthright restored. He pleaded. He cried. He repented. But he had lost it forever, because of one bad decision he made one day when he was hungry. Many of us are not any different. Several times, due to impatience, inability to wait one day, one week, one month or more, or refusal to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit called self-control, we have ended up taking a step that will be regretted later.

During a moment of anger, do you allow yourself to lose your control and destroy lives and property? Or, perhaps it was the temptation to fornicate, which you felt you would secretly repent of, only to find that the singular act of immorality either brought the AIDS scourge or is breaking up your home. Watch what you do. Scripture says: ‘The adulteress will hunt for the precious life.’ The devil knows what he is targeting in your life through those temptations. Look beyond the momentary pleasure and see Satan plotting to steal your soul and afterwards destroy you. Resist him steadfastly soak yourself in God’s Word. Receive grace to overcome.

ACTION POINT
Ask God’s help to prevent you from taking a decision you will
regret later in life and to develop and manifest self-control.