Devotions Inspired by the Fresh Start BibleSample

Your Birthright

By Thomas Miller

After a long, hot day in the wilderness, Esau was tired. In fact, he was exhausted. And to make matters that much worse, he was hungry. Simply put, Esau was completely depleted. Being fatigued and famished, he made a decision that would affect the rest of his life. In that moment, Esau chose to give all of his birthright to his younger brother in exchange for a temporary fix: some bread and stew. 

In Biblical times, the birthright of the firstborn son had to do with his long-term position and inheritance. As the firstborn, Esau was to become the leader of the family and receive a double portion of the overall inheritance from his father. Yet in a moment of impulsive reasoning, Esau gave it all away. He chose to fix his temporary pain instead of standing on a permanent promise. 

In moments of physical and emotional exhaustion, we are at our most vulnerable. It is in these moments that the enemy comes to tempt us with different “solutions” to fix our fatigue. Sometimes the pain in those moments feels so insurmountable, any solution seems better than no solution. Just like Esau showed contempt for his birthright (Genesis 25:34), the enemy wants us to fully disregard our birthright and to make a hasty decision outside of God’s perfect plan for our lives. 

In those moments, we must stand on God’s permanent promises and remember our birthright. We must remember our position and our inheritance. We are God’s children, and no one can take us from Him (John 10:28–29); we are seated with Him right now in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6); heaven is our inheritance (1 Peter 1:4); God is our defender (Psalm 7:9); and His power works within us and helps us in our weaknesses (Romans 6:11; 8:11, 26–28). All that plus all the promises in God’s Word make up our inherited birthright as children of God! 

What a wonderful birthright! And it’s all yours. 

Prayer

Father, thank You for the birthright You’ve given me. I am Your child and I have a great inheritance from You. Give me endurance and persistence in my walk with You so that when the enemy comes to steal it, I will hold onto Your truth. Thank You for Your promises. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Memory Verse

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7–8