God and Time

Gen. 33:4 "But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept."

Here is the guy that Jacob was afraid to meet. Here is the guy who got his birthright yanked by Jacob because he was hungry. Here is the guy that Jacob actually lied and tricked and stole the first born blessing from. No wonder Esau hated him. No wonder Esau wanted him dead. But here we are, over twenty years later and what is Esau's response upon seeing his rotten brother? He ran. He embraced. He hugged him around the neck. He kissed him. Unreal. This was not the response that Jacob imagined. Jacob thought that he was going to see the end of a sword and instead he received nothing but a brother's love.

What changed? Why was Esau so compassionate? Why did Esau want to now help lead Jacob and this large group of people in their travels? Why was the hate gone? Two things: God and Time. I think that in the twenty years that separated these two brothers, God softened the heart of Esau and prepared him for this day. Jacob did not know it. Jacob remembered the animosity so he tried to bribe his brother. His brother did not need the bribe. He wanted to give it all back. Esau's heart had changed.

God and twenty years. So many times I want to rush God. I want to hurry things up. I want what I want and I want God to do it now. I want someone's heart to change, now. I want this answer to prayer, now. I want direction, now…and God says: "Wait. Let Me work. Let Me do it in My time." In the interim I get impatient. I get like Jacob and I start to worry. I wonder if God is even paying attention? The thing is, God is not bound by time or my schedule. He is always working, silently, carefully, perfectly. His purpose will be worked out in His time. Lives will change, in His time. Prayers will be answered in His perfect time. He will give direction when I am ready to receive direction…in His time. The church will grow, in His time. The ministry will flourish, in His time. Opportunities will come, in His time.

God and time. I need to step away and let both work.