Learn, Grow, Lead

Times of trial and tragedy unfortunately are a reality of life.  Just because you are saved and faithfully serving the Lord, doesn’t mean that you are immune from the heartaches and tribulations of life.  Job was a righteous man yet suffered greatly.  Suffering and heartache were not God’s perfect will for us.  These come as a result of sin and rebellion against God; both personal and universal.  Jesus stated that in life we will have trials and tribulations.  The key is in our response to them.  Will we cling to faith in God and draw closer to Him?  Will we learn and grow from the situation or draw back in anger to the world’s ways instead of toward God’s ways.  Jacob is at such a crossroads in his life.  He has done as God has commanded him and returned.  He saw reconciliation with Esau even though he still had a distrust of him.  Now his daughter, Dinah has been raped and his sons, Simeon and Levi have taken retribution to such a level that all are now in danger of being killed or taken captive.  At least that is how it appears in Jacobs’s eyes.  But God uses the moment and situation for teaching, growth and an opportunity to lead his family into deeper faith in God.  How we respond makes all the difference both at the moment of crisis, and into the future.