| Can’t Hardly Wait (Esau’s Impatience) • Genesis 25:24-34 Monthly Memory Verse: Wait for the Lord. Be strong and don’t lose hope. Wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14 (NIrV) Impatience. It will make what you think you want now, way more important than what you know you’ll have later. Even though Esau and Jacob were twins, Esau was born first. Because of this, Esau was entitled to the birthright. This inheritance was nothing you would ever sell. Ever. For any price. The only downside was that the firstborn had to wait to get it. And in our story, Esau didn’t want to wait. All because he was hungry. Doesn’t seem like an even trade, does it? The lasting benefits of his rights as the firstborn son were handed over for a bowl of stew! Sure, Esau was hungry—maybe even really hungry. But let’s be real. Esau was not in danger of actually starving. Esau could have easily prepared his own meal without Jacob’s help . . . and without giving up his whole birthright! Because of Esau’s impulsive decision, more was lost than just that. Many bad things happened, including a lot of fighting within the family. I believe it’s easy for us to listen to this story and think we would never be so impulsive. But each one of us can easily fall into the same trap. “Regardless of how you need to exercise patience, waiting is hard! Regardless of your age, it’s something we have to constantly work on. Don’t forget what happens when we follow Jesus. God sends the Holy Spirit to dwell in us to help us. All we must do is ask God for assistance in those situations when we think we just can’t wait one more minute.” By going to God, it could keep you from losing something valuable, or it can help you wait a little longer for something better. “What could you miss out on by not waiting? It’s probably not going to be your inheritance like Esau, but it might just be something significant and meaningful in your life. |
