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Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you havestruggled with God and with humans and have overcome" (Genesis 33: 28). Oh no! Did you hear? Grandma is coming in hot. Your cousin is being a drama llama. And did you check that voicemail from your sister? It's only May but Christmas is already ruined! Maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration...
Keep ReadingBut Jacob said to him, "My lord knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the flocks and herds before me and the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in...
Keep ReadingBut Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neckand kissed him. And they wept (Genesis 33:4). If you have ever played with a toddler, you are likely familiar with two of their favorite words. "Mine" and "No." It's fascinating really when you think about it. We don't have to learn to be self-centered and selfish. It comes quite naturally! We ...
Keep ReadingEsau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his armsaround his neck and kissed him. And they wept (Genesis 33:4). One time when I was seeking wise counsel from a friend about some "messy" family issues, she reminded me that even the first families in the Bible dealt with all kinds of family dysfunction. Unfortunately, these patterns were often passed down from gener...
Keep ReadingBut Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his armsaround his neckand kissed him. And they wept (Gen.33:4). As part of our Messy, Beautiful Families, we're looking at the reunion in Genesis 32-33 of twin brothers estranged for twenty years. Jacob and Esau, born to Isaac and Rebekah, are grandsons of Abraham, whom God chose to be the father of the nation Israel....
Keep Reading"All the king's officials and the people of the royal provinces know thatfor any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner courtwithout being summoned, the king has but one law: that they be put to deathunless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives.But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king" (Esther 4:11). She won th...
Keep Reading"If you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise fromanother place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knowsbut that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4: 14). When exploring the vastness of outer space, astronomers often make discoveries by focusing on a force they cannot see directl...
Keep Reading"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for thr...
Keep ReadingMordecai urged Esther to go into the king's presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people (Esther 4:8). How easily do you accept advice from your parents? Easier if it's your grandparents? What about from your adult child? Or a relative who's been absent from your life for years? Does that advice make your family messier or more beautiful? Esther, an Israel...
Keep ReadingEsther 4 Does an "older generation" know some things that a younger generation needs to learn? What might a "younger generation" understand that an older generation is having a hard time with? Welcome to a new week, and the next week, of our My Messy, Beautiful Family series. This week's passage is complicated, so let's kick off the week with an overview. We find oursel...
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