Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Curse of the Night Owl... an observation on Choice

I don't know why... but over the last few months I have seriously reverted to my college ways of being a night owl. Only difference, during college I took naps, now... not so much. Maybe it is because I live within earshot of 150 other girls and they just wear (off) on me. But oh well, I guess my curse of being a night owl is your reading material. 


I thought it would be good to explain a bit in this post... a bit about where I am in life at the moment. 2011 has been a growth (and loss - in a good way) year for me. In March I had a weird dream which kicked my hypochondriaticness into overdrive. But that dream led to a doctor's appointment, which led to (at this point) a loss of 65 pounds (The first picture is in April of 2011, the second is in October). 



In the months since that change I have been doing a lot to physically change aspects about myself, making better choices about food and activities... but I have more importantly been working on improving my wisdom of the Lord and my knowledge of myself... my interests, developing my creativity, and trying... trying to hard to just listen to what the Lord has to say to me.

The choices we make can change our lives, and as I was reading back over some notes in my bible tonight, that theory was strongly reinforced. Though he made a GIANT mistake, I can identify a little bit with Esau and his hunger, and that hunger, and the choice that resulted from it, should serve as a warning to us all. 

Isau's issues all started with being hungry: 
29 Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary.
 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom.
31 But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.” 

32 And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?” 
33 Then Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 
34 And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. 
(Genesis 25:29-34)

Sometimes in life we take our God given blessings for granted. In this situation, Esau took his God given birthright for granted... and it changed his life forever. He considered that birthright nothing if he could not survive ("I am about to die, verse 32) to claim it. Often times when talking about God in the Old Testament, we reference him as follows...
"The God of Abraham, Isaac, and _____"

That blank is generally filled with the name Jacob. But consider this, if Esau had not been so desperate for his desire (food) that he gave up his birthright... his name would be in that blank. His name would be tied to powerful God who did so many mighty works in the Old Testament (and of course for all time, but for this point I'll stick to the OT). He would be considered one of the giants of the Old Testament, not his baby brother. 

Now of course if you read the story of Esau and Jacob frankly it reads like a soap opera (Chapters 26 and 27). There are lies, deceit, elaborate costumes, and games, from both sides... no one in that family was innocent of being dishonest, not even Issac himself (for he knew that Esau had given up his birthright, but intended to give him the blessing of it regardless, 27:1-4). but ultimately, my reflections on it lead to one simply, but lifechanging word. 

CHOICE.

Esau made a choice. He made a choice to give up his father's blessing for some food. 

“Ah, the smell of my son 
is like the smell of a field

that the LORD has blessed. 
28 May God give you heaven’s dew
and earth’s richness—    
an abundance of grain and new wine. 
29 May nations serve you    
and peoples bow down to you. 
Be lord over your brothers,    
and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. 
May those who curse you be cursed    
and those who bless you be blessed.”

If you read this blessing closely, Esau gave up  Property, Power, and Place. And because of that he lost hope. I mean literally, the heading in my bible of Genesis 27:30, says "Esau's Lost Hope"... all for some stew. 

How many times in life do we give up our Father's blessings for some stew? I think practically applied our "stew" can be the opinion of other, the approval or our peers, Keeping up with the Jones'... How many times do we put our faith on the backburner for friends, for work, for other passions? His blessing should be something we are desperate for. Over the last few months I have laid it all out for Him, and become willing to sit and wait till He is done with me, or to pack up and go wherever He leads.But if I am to bypass those peace's I have come to for a whim of an adventure, am I not making a choice to give up His blessing and His plan for me? Think about how that applies to you and your life. In the places that God is leading you... if you choose to meet some other unnecessary need becuase you don't know if you'll ever receive his blessing or not, well... then you are making a choice... and a really really bad one. 

Esau took his birthright for granted. At the end of the charade put on by Rebekah and Jacob, Esau truly realizes what he cannot have. 
38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? 
Bless me too, my father!” Then Esau wept aloud.
Genesis 27:38

He weeps desperately for his father's blessing that he has given up. Do we not, should we not do the same? 

Please, let Esau's mistake serve as a warning to us all... a warning that when you are to receive a blessing from your Heavenly Father... don't let ANYTHING come between or distract you from that blessing. Don't let your name be left off of the most powerful family tree of the old testament. No one can take God's blessing from you, unless you make the choice to give it up. 

Choose to keep it... and don't let anything pursuade you to give it away.

Love Y'all, 
KC

1 comment:

  1. So proud of you and proud to be your friend! Love you!!

    ReplyDelete