DAILY DEVOTIONAL FROM PASTOR WESLEY August 9, 2022
Spiritual Shortsightedness
When we seek the Lord’s counsel in our decision-making, we’ll prioritize eternal concerns over temporal ones.
Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban, to be his wife. Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived. But the children struggled together within her; and she said, ``If it is so, why then am I this way? " So, she went to inquire of the LORD. The LORD said to her, ``Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger." When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau. Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them. When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; and Esau said to Jacob, ``Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished." Therefore, his name was called Edom. But Jacob said, ``First sell me your birthright." Esau said, ``Behold, I am about to die; so, of what use then is the birthright to me?" And Jacob said, ``First swear to me"; so, he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus, Esau despised his birthright. Genesis 25:19-34
The problem with being nearsighted is the inability to see what’s far away. Though we usually think of this as strictly a physical problem, it’s also possible to be spiritually short-sighted (2 Peter 1:8-9). That is exactly what happened with Esau in today’s passage. He traded his birthright and all its long-term blessings for the immediate physical gratification of a bowl of soup.
That sounds very foolish to us, yet we too can give up something excellent for temporary satisfaction. This happens when we give higher priority to our desires, appetites, or emotions than to the Lord. If our focus is on the temporal rather than the eternal, we’ll make decisions based on today’s needs and desires without considering tomorrow’s consequences. In doing so, we sacrifice lasting treasure for fleeting satisfaction.
To guard against what happened to Esau, avoid making important decisions in times of physical, emotional, or spiritual weakness. Take time to ask the Lord for guidance, and let biblical principles guide your thinking. Remember, self-control is a virtue God highly values (Galatians 5:22-23; 2 Peter 1:5-8). So, view every temptation to satisfy desires quickly as an opportunity to practice self-restraint and trust God.
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