EVENT DETAILS
Mar 08
EFCA Conference
March 8, 2021
Des Moines, IA
March 8, 2021
EFCA Conference
Women in Leadership
Wives of Pastors
Valley Baptist Church
Des Moines, Iowa
Contact person: Debi Lydic
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Have you ever held a grudge? That’s a silly question. I think we all have. I remember when Nancy Davis asked the boy I had my eye on to the high school dance. Can we all say G-r-u-d-g-e with an extra grrrr? ![]()
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Esau, now that’s a biblical character who held a grudge…and rightly so. His brother Jacob and his momma grabbed the pen right out of God’s hand, as if God needed help writing their story. While Esau’s mother, Rebekah, was pregnant, God told her:![]()
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Two nations are in your womb,![]()
and two peoples from within you will be separated;![]()
one people will be stronger than the other,![]()
and the older will serve the younger. (Genesis 25:23)![]()
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Rebekah did indeed give birth to two very unidentical twin brothers—hairy Esau and smooth Jacob. The name Jacob means “heel grabber.” The boys wrestled in the womb and Jacob, though born second, came out hanging onto his older brother’s heel. That might have been a fun story to tell at a party if Jacob hadn’t continued to try to gain one-upmanship on Esau. ![]()
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Years later, Jacob stole Esau’s blessing and inheritance from their nearly blind father. ![]()
When Esau learned of the deception, he begged his father to renege and reverse the oath. When he wouldn’t, or rather couldn’t, Esau vowed to kill his brother. “Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, ‘The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob’” (Genesis 27:41). ![]()
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The Hebrew word translated “grudge” means to cherish animosity against. I doubt many would admit that they cherish the hate they have toward another, but it’s easy to do. You take care of what you cherish. Dust it off. Shine it up. Hold it dear. Unforgiveness sits on the shelf of the heart, as a beloved trophy. ![]()
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For the next twenty-one years, Jacob hid from his angry brother as a fugitive in Haran. Finally, he decided he really wanted to go home. There was just one problem—Esau, who had vowed to kill him.![]()
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Jacob’s strategy for dealing with Esau was to divide his people and possessions into two groups. One was to approach Esau first. If Esau and his 400 men attacked and killed the first group, then the second would flee. If Esau didn’t kill the first group, then the second would proceed. ![]()
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When Jacob brought up the rear, a teary-eyed Esau embraced his brother and wept. Just the night before, Jacob had been preparing for the worst, but was met with Esau’s best. Esau embraced his brother, offering forgiveness and inviting reconciliation. ![]()
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Jacob said to Esau, “To see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably” (Genesis 33:10).![]()
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Seeing forgiveness face-to-face is like seeing the face of God. Isn’t that the most beautiful image? If we were sitting together sharing a cup of coffee, I’d want to chat long about that. Can you think of a time when someone forgave you and it felt as if you were looking into the face of God? I have. We are never more like God than when we forgive.![]()
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Interestingly, the name Jacob means "trickster,” but God changed it to Israel, which means “triumphant with God.” Jacob’s worst chapter became his greatest victory, and it all began with forgiveness.![]()
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Heavenly Father, I want to reflect Your glory. When people look at me, I want them to see the reflection of Your love and not the reflection of pent up grudges. Help me to let go of grudges and take hold of grace. ![]()
In Jesus’ Name, Amen![]()
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Let’s face it. Life can be scary. ![]()
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We watch the news and feel like Chicken Little. The sky always seems to be falling.![]()
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We lose sleep over our loved ones, our lost ones, and our little ones.![]()
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We worry about the economy, finances, and employment.![]()
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We shake and shudder when more medical testing is required, when the test comes back positive or the diagnosis is not favorable.![]()
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We are anxious with “what ifs” and “whys.”![]()
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It’s understandable that we wrestle with the opponent of fear. The world is broken, and life isn’t a Hallmark movie or a fairy tale. (Although I do love a good Hallmark movie!) In the same token, while I realize it’s completely normal for us to process emotions of anxiety and unrest, the Bible says it is not God’s plan for us to crumble in its wake. (2 Timothy 1:7)![]()
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Fear was never meant to control or consume us.![]()
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The good news is that God doesn’t just tell us to suck it up and deal. He gives us the tools we need to help us in the fear-fight.![]()
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Proverbs 1:33 says, “but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm." I sure do like the promises in this verse. I want to live in safety and be at ease. ![]()
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So how can you and I have a brave faith when life gets scary? Let’s consider the text and break down the promises found in Proverbs 1:33 by looking at the: who, what, and why. ![]()
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…but whoever listens to me…![]()
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WHO is the “me” we need to listen to? The context of the chapter lets us know that the me is God’s wisdom. I listen to God’s wisdom when I go to Him with my fears instead of allowing them to grip me. When I pray and place my anxieties in His care. When I reflect upon God’s Word, power, plan, and strength more than on the words of that analyst on the news channel. ![]()
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God is the source of the wisdom I must listen to.![]()
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WHAT does it mean to “listen” in this verse? The Hebrew word shama’ is used. Shama’ means to hear, listen to, yield to, obey. So to listen to the wisdom of God does not simply mean my ears need to process His wisdom. It means that my heart needs to process and implement His wisdom. It is not just about hearing audibly it’s about hearing spiritually … and responding accordingly.![]()
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WHY does it matter if I accept and walk in God’s wisdom verses my own? My own wisdom is limited (1 Corinthians 1:25). It’s subjective and faulty. And while the implementation of earthly wisdom can and often does bring some benefit, it will not always lead me to the safety and ease I long for deep inside. ![]()
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God’s wisdom is perfect. It leads my heart, mind, and soul to safety and rest in a world that is filled with scary realities and uncertainties. And it’s free for the asking! He gives us wisdom when we ask for it. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5).![]()
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When we ask for and listen to God’s wisdom - when we hear it, yield to it, apply it and obey it - we will live in peace. Not the world’s peace – God’s peace. We will be at ease in Christ. Not with perfect lives, but with lives that are led by the Spirit of God, not controlled by fear and anxiousness. We can and will experience calm in spite of chaos.![]()
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I hear your push back. Really? That seems too easy. It’s just not that simple, Gwen.![]()
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Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to tap an easy-button here. The Biblical instruction might be simple, but the implementation of it isn’t. If you and I are going to live with a brave faith we need God’s help. Remember? Jesus said that without Him we can bear NO fruit. (John 15:5) ![]()
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When you and I spend time with Jesus… when we look beyond our fears to God’s sovereign strength… when we trust in the wisdom of God and set our hearts on His Word, we find the peace our hearts long for. ![]()
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