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 because God had blessed Jacob with so many animals. Then God told Jacob to return home, to the place he had left as a young man.

So Jacob took his two wives, 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 would have to face his brother Esau, whom he had tricked long ago. Jacob remembered that Esau had wanted to kill him.

So when Jacob reached the land of Edom, he sent servants ahead with many gifts for Esau. Meanwhile, Esau was coming toward him with four hundred men, and Jacob was afraid. But he knew he had to face Esau. When they finally met, Jacob bowed down before his brother 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 avoiding someone because something has come between you and that person. It may be time to go and make things right.

Saying “I am sorry” are three short words, but they are sometimes the hardest words to say. Even so, those three words won’t always make things right—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 might think of a way to show kindness to the person you hurt—not as a way to pay for what you did, but as a caring gift that shows you truly 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.