He Had Such Great Potential

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He Had Such Great Potential
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman

"Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright" (Gen 25:34).

Have you ever heard someone say, "Oh, he had such great potential? He never lived up to it though."

Esau was the brother of Jacob. He was a man who had great potential. He was skilled in almost everything he did. He was a hunter. He was a leader. He came from a Godly patriarch family. He could do just about anything he put his mind to. The problem was, he put his energies in all the wrong places. The Bible says he was a lady's man too. He was promiscuous and married outside the tribe. His parents were greatly saddened by the direction his life was taking.

During a moment of weakness, Esau made the greatest mistake of his life when he traded away his birthright for a simple meal. He had just returned from a time of hunting and he was hungry. His brother was making stew but would not give him any. Esau was angered by this and negotiated for what he wanted by agreeing to give Jacob his family inheritance. It seems almost unbelievable that Esau would do such a thing.

Esau had not understood the value of his birthright or his future in God. He could only see the immediate pleasures available to him. His appetites were driven by his flesh. And his choices led to a life that even God said He despised in Esau. Everyday there are Esaus living out their calling in the same way. They see the fruits that their professional life can give them. They make choices based on what seems right at the moment for immediate gratification. The Bible says there is a way that seems right but only leads to death.

God has a future and a plan for every person. But not every person will choose to follow this plan. Pray for those you encounter today that are still living as Esaus and ask God to move on their behalf in order that they fulfill their Godly heritage.


Today's Prayer

Lord, I commit my works unto you, and ask you to establish my thoughts and direct my steps. Let my heart beat with your desires. Deliver me from all wrongdoing and fleshly desires. Keep me under your faithful, loving, and warm wings of love. I praise you, Father, Savior, Deliverer. In Jesus' name.