Emmanuel Okoro (aka MrLift)

Find your why, find your yes "And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother." (Gen.29.10 KJV).  When you figure out your why, you have figured out your greatest motivation. Your why is your compelling reason, your controlling force, the reason you live and do what you do.  In our text, Jacob alone moved the stone from the well. This stone, we are told is moved by a community of herders. The shepherds wait for one another and when they have all brought their herds in, they would together move the huge stone.  "He noticed a well out in an open field with three flocks of sheep bedded down around it. This was the common well from which the flocks were watered. The stone over the mouth of the well was huge. When all the flocks were gathered, the shepherds woul

God's ways  It would appear as though God's intentions were realized through falsehood. God gave the end result but man decided the how. In this case, God told Rebecca from when she was pregnant what His intentions were and Rebecca fashioned out the way to actualize it?  "GOD told her, Two nations are in your womb, two peoples butting heads while still in your body. One people will overpower the other, and the older will serve the younger."(Gen.25.23)  I think Rebecca should have done a better job trying to achieving God's intentions. She should have gone back to God to ask for the 'how to' just as she did when she was pregnant with the boys.  Isaac was finally brought into the picture. So that now He blesses Jacob with the blessings of Abraham, the blessing of succession.  "So Isaac called in Jacob and blessed him. Then he ordered him, "Don't take a Caananite wife. And pass on the blessing of Abraham to you and your descendants so that you w

Dig again  "One day, as Isaac's servants were digging in the valley, they came on a well of spring water. The shepherds of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's shepherds, claiming, "This water is ours." So Isaac named the well Esek (Quarrel) because they quarreled over it. They dug another well and there was a difference over that one also, so he named it Sitnah (Accusation). He went on from there and dug yet another well. But there was no fighting over this one so he named it Rehoboth (Wide-Open Spaces), saying, "Now GOD has given us plenty of space to spread out in the land." (Gen.26.19-22) One reason most people are still where they have been is because they stopped short of what could have been possible. They refused to push ahead because they experienced a setback. Setbacks are set up for a comeback  The story of Isaac illustrates this for us. He dug a well and found water but that was taken from him, he dug another one that was also taken from him, until

Isaac planted in that land  "Isaac planted crops in that land and took in a huge harvest. GOD blessed him. The man got richer and richer by the day until he was very wealthy. He accumulated flocks and herds and many, many servants, so much so that the Philistines began to envy him. (Gen.26.12-14)  Isaac lived in an agrarian society so planting was not unusual. But what was unusual is the fact that there was famine in the land so whatever was planted  did not have a chance at growing to the point of harvest.  It is instructive to learn that he planted crops in obedience to God's instructions. So it was a time when nothing seem to work. The economy wasn't working, yet he planted . And it was that obedience that God blessed. In this day and age, it does not matter what job you do, if it is in obedience to God's instructions to you, you too will reap an harvest.  God's instruction plus your obedience equal God's blessings. But you must plant  even when the time and

You don't value what you have until you lose it "Jacob gave him bread and the stew of lentils. He ate and drank, got up and left. That's how Esau shrugged off his rights as the firstborn." [Gen.25.34] That is how Esau shrugged off his right as the firstborn. He disdain his right as the first born and sold same for a plate of food. As firstborn he was entitled to a double portion of all his father Isaac had. But he gave all up that for a brief moment  appetite.  Moses tell us in the Deuteronomy that even if the first born is from a wife that is hated, as long as he is the first born he gets a double portion.  "But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his. (Deut.21.17)  This same right was what Esau shrugged off, with so much disdain, he would later sought it with cry of bitter tears but will not get it back.  "And

Birth rights for sale  "One day Jacob was cooking a stew. Esau came in from the field, starved. Esau said to Jacob, "Give me some of that red stew--I'm starved!" That's how he came to be called Edom (Red). Jacob said, "Make me a trade: my stew for your rights as the firstborn." Esau said, "I'm starving! What good is a birthright if I'm dead?" Jacob said, "First, swear to me." And he did it. On oath Esau traded away his rights as the firstborn." (Gen.25.29-33).  Life has taught us to trade what we have for what we want or need. And this is basic economics but the story of how Esau lost his birthright is a lesson we should not forget in a hurry. It tells us that we do not value what we have, until we have lose it.  Esau had his birthright and that entitles him to a double portion of the inheritance from his father. But he was willing to trade a long term advantage for a short pleasure. He wanted a quick fix over a permanen