Daily PresenceSample

I have a six-year-old nephew who is a very picky eater. Each Sunday, our family has dinner together and each Sunday it is a battle to convince him to eat a substantial portion of any dish served. “I don’t like that!” and “I’m not hungry!” are frequent protests made throughout dinner time. Oftentimes, the family resorts to bargaining with him in order to try to convince him to eat. What’s the easiest bargaining chip any family can yield at dinner time? No dessert. So, more often than not, the promise is stated: “If you don’t eat your dinner, you will not get dessert.” Yet, despite this, my nephew announces proudly, “I don’t want dessert!” So, he sits and refuses to eat while the rest of the family continues to eat their meal.

Yet, once the meal is finished and dishes are cleaned, and while ice cream and other goodies are being portioned out, my nephew comes running to the kitchen asking, “Can I have some ice cream?” When he is reminded of the bargain he struck earlier, he responds with further protest and pouting. He didn’t know what he’d be missing out on.

A similar scenario is what we see in the story of Esau and Jacob. After returning hungry from a hunting trip, Esau begs his brother for a bowl of stew. Not willing to give something for nothing, Jacob asks Esau to give up his most valuable possession: his birthright. Racked by hunger and unable, or unwilling, to consider the consequences of his actions, Esau immediately concedes and gives Jacob his birthright. After eating, Esau simply rises and leaves - not understanding the weight of the bargain he just made.

The promises God has made us are mighty and true. Yet, they may also seem far off and like they don’t hold weight in our everyday lives. Do not be fooled. His promises are the most precious things in our lives. Hold fast to the promises of the Lord, and resist temptation from the enemy.