GENESIS 35:9-11 – God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body.

THEME OF THE DAY. OUR BIG GOD. Today’s scripture contains a significant time in the life of Jacob. He is about to experience change. Big time change. His name is going to be changed as well as his life. And based on the temperament of this man, we know this was not going to be without struggle. Jacob was fearful, probably was bent toward seeing the glass “half-empty” in life fearing all the negative “what if’s” that might happen. We get a glimpse of this when he was praying to the Lord over meeting his brother Esau after a long estrangement from him – And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.” Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.” And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’ I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children (Genesis 32:6-11).

This was an unfounded fear in Jacob. He didn’t know how Esau was going to treat him, and he thought the worse. So, it isn’t a stretch to think with a name and life change, Jacob might have thought the worst. And often, we are of the same heart when change comes into our lives. Ever get that “sick” feeling of anxiety swelling up in the pits of our stomach when a change with potential “bad” consequence comes into our lives? Ever lay awake at night staring into the ceiling? And not because we are admiring the paint job, but because we are unable to sleep fretting over some “what ifs” that are knocking at the door of our lives? All of us would have to confess there are times in life when mounting challenges face us, we are a little short on exercising confident faith in God. Yet, God is the God of all grace and will encourage us to get our minds off ourselves and onto Him. As He did with Jacob, He will do for us. And notice the four words the Lord uses to Jacob, and to us, to help us not be worry-warts when change comes – “I am God almighty.” Our glorious God wants us to not make the fear of unbelief when change comes mightier than Him. He draws Jacob and us to realize, then rely, on our “Big” God; our “Big” God who is bigger than all the challenges we face in life’s changes.

As for change, it is inevitable in life. We change physically, and we are to change spiritually. And during the difficulties we may have with change and the challenges they bring, let’s remember, our God is a “Big God” and not only will help us through change, but is the orchestrator of change and that for our good and His glory.

PRAYER: “Father, forgive me when I make my problems and trials greater than Your Person and Power.”

QUOTE: “The more we focus on the Lord and not our problems, the greater joy we will know in our daily lives”