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Prepare for the Worst; Pray for the Best

Words of Faith Final

Prepare for the Worst; Pray for the Best
Words of Faith 6-13-2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Genesis 32
[3] Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. [4] He instructed them: "This is what you are to say to my master Esau: 'Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. [5] I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, menservants and maidservants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.' "
[6] When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, "We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him."
[7] In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. [8] He thought, "If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape."
[9] Then Jacob prayed, "O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who said to me, 'Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,' [10] I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups. [11] Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. [12] But you have said, 'I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.' "

As Jacob headed home, there was one significant barrier that he had to overcome--Esau. Oh yeah, Esau. Twenty years had passed, and Jacob and Esau had not spoken in all that time. Remember that it was the seething anger of Esau that drove Jacob to leave Canaan. There was no reason to think that Esau's anger had subsided.
We don't know precisely the communication from God through the angels that met Jacob on the way. Perhaps the visit gave reassurance of the promise of God but also seemed to have inspired a plan for reconciliation. Jacob began wisely by sending a delegation to find out information and communicate with Esau. Communication is always a good start.
The news that the delegation brought back was not good. Esau was coming! They would not have to go to Esau. Esau was on his way with 400 men! So Jacob did two things. He divided his group in hopes that at least some of the family would survive if there was an attack. And then he prayed.
Boy, did Jacob pray! What a beautiful prayer. He prayed with deep humility and dependence upon God. He prayed with complete faith, reminding God of His promises.
This is an interesting pair of responses. Jacob prepared for the worst and then prayed for the best. With harsh practicality that may have come from years of suffering under the stern hand of Laban, Jacob prepared for the worst possible scenario. But he never stopped hoping and praying for the best.
There is a good lesson there. It is not a lack of faith to prepare for a possible outcome that we do not want and then pray for the best hoped-for outcome. There are many applications we can think of. We prepare for hurricane season and then pray no one will be ravaged by storms. We pray for a long life but still buy adequate life insurance. We pray for good health but also buy good health coverage. We pray for the protection of long life but still prepare a will. These combinations are not incongruent. They simply recognize that God is and will always be God even as we pray for success.
The faith journey calls us to submit to His sovereign, perfect, and complete wise plan. We pray expectantly for the best, but we also prepare for the hard times that can come. We even pray about how we should best prepare for the possibilities in the future.
How are your preparations? Are you prepared for the possibilities and dangers that could be ahead? Are you prayed up against the harm that may come your way? Are you submitted to God trusting his sovereign way?

Father, I am surrendered to Your way and Your will in my life. I will prepare for the dire possibilities that may be ahead as I recognize Your loving care, even in the worst of circumstances. I realize that you shape me and draw me near to You even in hardship. But Lord, I also pray in earnest for the very best of outcomes. I trust and expectantly believe that You are watching over my life and that You have a plan not to harm me but to give me hope and a future. In Jesus' name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2022 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.