• Have you ever heard anyone accuse Jacob of being the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of the Bible? This way of looking at Jacob was brought to my attention recently. A very strange description of one who has such a significant role in Scripture.
• Consider these facts: We see a constant struggle of good versus evil. He rises up, yet falls short of his goals. His life is one constant battle between two natures: one earth bound and the other filled with divine intentions.
• No one is able to describe his life in a single word. It is certainly appropriate to speak of Abraham as a man of faith or Joseph as a person of purity. But it does not seem possible to summarize Jacob's many sided life into one word unless it would be the word "inconsistent."
• His early years present a vivid picture of this incontinency. He was a cheat - having cheated both his father and brother. Yet, he constantly tried to do better.
• He might have died as a Jekyll and Hyde, but one night he was forced to face his sins and make a decision about his future. And when he realized that he was at the end of his resources, he finally turned to God to be saved from his sins and self-destructive ways.
• After that God-changing event, he went from victory to victory, with hope and help from the Lord.
• There is no limit to what God can do for each of us. What He did for Jacob, He can do for us: "Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God." Wrestling with sin? Turn to God now!
• Prayer: How foolish we are, Father, to struggle in our own strength when Yours is available. Save us now! In Jesus' Name, Amen.
• Scripture for Today: Psalm 146:5 Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God.
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