Whose Report Will You Believe?

Whose report will you believe? A fresh take...

I have always tried to teach my daughter about who she is. It was important to me that she know where she came from and who she belongs to. I thought I knew for myself so I never really thought to find out. I knew that it was said that I belonged to God but I didn’t really grasp the truth of that statement. I continued to live in confusion and frustration. Folly after folly. Calamity after calamity. I went everyday proclaiming the goodness of God but I didn’t really know what I was talking about. I was speaking the truth but I didn’t understand the fullness of what I was speaking.

I have to thank my dear dear sister from another mister for sharing what God gave her for me.

Last night she called me and read the 91^st Psalm to me. I listened attentively and received every word. Although I had read this psalm before and heard it recited by my grandmother throughout my life, I had never actually caught on. Sometimes we can be a little slow at seeing what God is trying to show us. I know I can be.

I had been struggling with my name. Yes my name; the name that my mother gave me when I was born. I had read somewhere that my name meant to protect so I was excited and felt good about myself. I even wrote a story about it called the Honey Bee. Maybe I’ll share it one day.

Not too long ago I was doing some reading and I went online for a concordance or scripture reference and happened to come across a forum discussing Jacob andEsau. I read one of the comments made by a theologian that the meaning of Jacob was supplanter, one who takes another’s place, deceiver. Of course I didn’t think of the positive but immediately dwelled on the negative. “Deceiver”, I thought.  Wow! I was devastated because I knew that Jacob was a root form of my own name. I began to think about my transgressions. Why do we do this?

Even though I couldn’t really see any overwhelming evidence that would brand me a deceiver I still sulked. For a whole year I struggled with this and began to secretly loath my name. I tried to ignore it but it kept gnawing at me. Finally I just cried out to God.” Lord I don’t know what’s up with this name thing but please give me peace about it.

I could hear God say “have you forgotten who you are. Don’t you know by now? “. I began reading his Word from the very beginning without skipping a chapter, book or verse. God showed me who Jacob was and I began to understand Jacob’s relationship with God. I began to thank God for this wisdom. Later I found a definition of supplant and understood it to mean; to succeed, to happen as expected. It was God’s intention for Jacob to take the place of Esau as the leader in the family from the time they were in their mother’s womb. It wasn’t a bad thing but a God thing that Jacob took his brother’s birth right because God had intended it for Jacob in the first place and no one can do anything to change what God has commanded.

I felt a little foolish after learning this but also redeemed! Restored! I know that when I am in God’s word and constantly seeking Him, He helps me and doesn’t allow me to stumble. Abide in Him friends so that your foot will not stumble. Do not believe what the enemy has said about you. He is a liar. He goes around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.