Jacob
February 1
Genesis 31:3, 17-18, 32:13-18, 33:1-11
Making things right
Jacob had worked for Laban for many years and eventually owned his own sheep and goats. His uncle Laban became jealous of him because God had blessed him with so many animals. Then God told Jacob to go back home to the place he had left as a young man.
So Jacob took his two wives and his children, and everything he owned, and left Laban to go back to his father in the land of Canaan.
The problem was that Jacob had to face his brother Esau whom he had tricked, and he remembered that Esau had wanted to kill him.
When he got to the country of Edom, he sent servants ahead with many gifts for Esau. Meanwhile, Esau was coming toward him with four hundred of his men, and Jacob was afraid. But he knew he would have to face Esau; and when he finally did, he bowed down in front of him to show how sorry he was for what he had done. Then Jacob gave Esau large herds of camels and other animals, and the two brothers made peace with each other.
Is it enough to say sorry?
Maybe you have been trying to avoid someone because of something that has come between you and the other person. It is time to go make things right.
Saying “I am sorry” are three short words, but they are sometimes the hardest words to say. However, even these three words won’t always make things right again—especially if they are said in an uncaring way.
To show that you are truly sorry, think about the words you use and how you say them. For example, you could say; “I am really sorry for what I said to you,” or “I am sorry that I hurt you—please forgive me.”
Like Jacob, you may be able to think of a way to show kindness to the person you wronged, not as a bribe or to pay for what you did, but as a gift of love—a sign to show that you really mean what you say.
Verse for today
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount" Luke 19:8.