Responsive

By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. – Hebrews 11:21

Greek
προσεκύνησεν/prosekynēsen: to prostrate oneself in worship

Why It Matters
There are so many beautiful things about the promises of God, and the life of Jacob illustrates a few of them. Isn’t it great to be reminded that God’s faithfulness doesn’t have an expiration date and that God gives promises to really imperfect people? Jacob makes the list of heroes in the hall of faith, despite the first part of his life being filled with deceptive acts designed to place himself in a position of honor. Even his name means “to supplant,” which, by definition, means to supersede or replace. Jacob worked hard to win what rightfully belonged to others.
Yet here in Hebrews we see him celebrated for his faith, and at the end of his life prosekynēsen (getting in a low position as an act of worship) toward his Creator. You can read the entire Jacob narrative beginning in Genesis 25, but his is a story of fully obtaining God’s promises for his life only after years of missing the mark. For us, this is a reminder that our legacy doesn’t have to be defined by our past! God can guide us through seasons of failure into generation-changing promises. As Jacob prosekynēsen, he put himself in a proper posture toward God. He didn’t try to supplant God or deceive others to receive a promised blessing. When this kind of faith is at the heart of what we do, we can trust that the decisions of our past won’t determine our legacy nearly as much as our position in relationship to God will.

Prayer
Thank you, Lord, for constantly supporting me with your faithfulness. I have experienced your grace, and I want to cling to your promises. I admit I sometimes need help doing this, so I pray for your Spirit to remind me of your promises at just the right time.

Application
What promise do I need to write down today?