Walking by Faith, Part 5 – From Genesis 32-33

Walking by faith and self-sufficiency are contradicting terms. When God calls us to walk by faith it is not an immediate or natural act that takes place in the believer. Most often He has to chisel away at these things we take comfort in. When Jacob was faced with the reality of meeting Esau, he was faced with the reality of meeting Esau he was overcome by fear; and rightly so. He had deceived him and stolen the blessing from him. So it would have been “right” (worldly speaking) for Esau to take vengeance on Jacob. This is what Jacob feared, but this is also what demonstrated to him that he needed to recall the faithfulness of God. He had received report that Esau was 400 men strong. This would not go over well for Jacob if he found himself in a military war with Esau. His pleading with the LORD is a good example of what we are to do in the midst of fear. How often this act becomes our final act; what we often do first is gather information. We try to weigh out all the pros and cons. This is all good and some would call it wisdom – and it is. Sometimes, however, we try to make sure all of our “ducks are in a row.” That’s what Jacob was doing. But finally he knew there was nothing he could do. At this point God was still pealing back his self-sufficiency; helping him see how much he needs the Lord in all his decisions.

This is an important for us to remember. We can make every effort to put just the right pieces together. We can attempt to make it look like we have everything lined up, but in the end, God wants us to be solely dependent upon Him. In times of great fear believers should recall the promises of God, because in order to become a man or woman of faith, God must first purge from our hearts the propensity to be self-sufficient.