Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright. (Genesis 25:34)
Esau’s hunger pangs got the best of him and he settled for some stew and sold his birthright to his brother Jacob. How often we find ourselves like Esau, settling for some momentary treasure over against our eternal destiny. So, when was the last time you settled for some stew instead of your Savior?
Think about it this way: God has given us many promises in His Word. But often, we are not willing to wait on the Lord to fulfill them in His way and in His timing. Abraham and Sarah had the promise of God that they would be the parents of a son. But from their perspective, it was taking God way too long to fulfill His promise. So, they took matters into their own hands. Sarah gave Abraham her servant and they had a child, that was not according to the promise of God. When we settle for stew over our Savior it blinds our eyes, binds our ears, and blocks our forward progress.
The key to keep from settling for some stew over our Savior is rooted in our focus. If we focus on the here and now, then we will likely settle for stew. But if we keep our focus on the there and then . . . living in the light of eternity . . . then we will rise above the temporal and settle for nothing less than the eternal. Only an eternal perspective will positively affect our earthly priorities. Jesus made it clear that we are all treasure hunters. The question we must ask and answer each day is: What treasure are we hunting for?
We all know by way of personal experience that it is a poor tradeoff indeed to settle for temporary pleasure when already have been given every imaginable eternal treasure in Jesus. But we must remember, we are children of the King and a royal priesthood by way of second birth. We must never sell our birthright to some temporal treasure, some earthly stew, when we have been given the greatest eternal treasure imaginable – Jesus.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 