Who Is in Control?

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

WHO IS IN CONTROL

Gen 27:38-41

38 Esau said to his father, "Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!" Then Esau wept aloud. 39 His father Isaac answered him, "Your dwelling will be away from the earth's richness, away from the dew of heaven above. 40 You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother. But when you grow restless,  you will throw his yoke from off your neck." 41 Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, "The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob."

Jealousy and envy turned Esau into a man of hatred, enough to want to kill his own brother. Isaac's prophetic words to Esau were hurtful because his blessing was more of a curse: as Jacob received the heavens' dew and the earth's riches, Esau's dwelling would be away from both. He would receive nothing good. Instead, he would become a restless man, throwing off the headship of his brother. Yet, this hatred that would drive him to want to kill Jacob is the story of life. Jesus made the lesson clear that to hate is the same as murder. Although Jesus used the word angry, which is not as harsh as hateful, to even get angry at someone means judgement by Almighty God. Anger is an emotion driven by self-centeredness, thinking of oneself more highly than one should. We are told that if we forgive those who offend us, the Lord will forgive us, but the opposite is also true: not forgiving means we have no forgiveness from God. Esau was in danger from the judgment of the LORD, as his anger was driving him to desire murder. We cannot allow anger to enter our minds, for as a man thinks, so is he. If we allow that anger a foothold in our minds, it will bring ruin upon our spirits. How can we be in fellowship with God while we allow anger to control our spirits? There is a difference between walking in the Spirit and walking in the self. One of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control, which means that if we are in control of ourselves, we would not allow anger, as well as envy, jealousy, or pride, to control us. Esau was out of control, lost to his selfishness, and allowed anger to control him. We cannot afford that luxury of giving in to our selfish, self-centered life. When we turn our lives over to Jesus and call him our Lord, we give him control. So the question is always before us: who is in control?