Today's Scriptures: Genesis 27–28 • Esther 6–8 • Psalms 4–6 • Zechariah 14–Malachi 2 • Matthew 27–28 • 1 Corinthians 11–12
Seeing the Story
There are days when God’s presence is easy to recognize. There are other days when we know what Scripture says, but life makes God seem very far away.
Today’s readings teach us that God’s faithfulness does not depend on how clearly we can see Him at work. Jacob certainly gives us reason to be thankful for that.
Genesis 27 is hardly a picture of a healthy family. There is deception, favoritism, anger, and broken trust. Jacob receives Isaac’s blessing through deceit and then must leave home. Yet when Jacob arrives at Bethel, God meets him there and repeats the covenant promises previously given to Abraham and Isaac.
God’s plan rests on His grace, not on Jacob deserving it.
Then we return to Esther, where God’s name is never explicitly mentioned, yet His hand seems to be everywhere. The situation that looked hopeless begins to turn. Mordecai is honored, Haman is exposed, and Esther is given the opportunity to act on behalf of her people. Events that seemed unrelated begin falling into place.
We have probably all known seasons like that.
We pray. We wait. We wonder what God is doing.
Sometimes we don’t recognize His providence until we look back and realize He had been working all along.
David knew something about living in that tension too. In Psalms 4–6, he brings his distress, fear, guilt, grief, and enemies before the Lord. His circumstances do not suddenly disappear, but David knows he has been heard.
His peace doesn’t come from having everything under control.
His peace comes from knowing where to take what he cannot control.
And then the story gets bigger.
Zechariah looks forward to the Lord reigning as King. The promise to Jacob was never meant to end with Jacob or even with Israel. God had promised that through Jacob’s offspring, blessing would reach the families of the earth. Zechariah looks toward the Lord’s kingship, and then Matthew brings us to the risen Jesus.
The One who was crucified in Matthew 27 stands alive before His disciples in Matthew 28.
What looked like defeat was not defeat at all.
Jesus declares that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him, and He sends His disciples to make disciples of the nations. The promise of blessing that stretches back through Jacob is now being extended to the world through the risen Christ.
Do you see the story?
The God of Jacob is still keeping His promises.
The God of Esther is still at work even when He seems hidden.
The King anticipated by the prophets has come.
And the crucified Savior is risen and reigning.
And then Jesus gives His disciples a promise they will need for everything that lies ahead:
“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
For Today
Maybe you need that promise today.
You might be in a season where you aren't sure what God is doing. Perhaps something hasn't turned out the way you expected. Maybe you are carrying a burden you can’t fix or facing something you cannot control. God does not promise that we will always understand what He is doing. He gives us something better.
He gives us Himself.
Jacob left home with an uncertain future. Esther faced circumstances beyond her control. David cried to God from his distress. The Corinthian church had to learn how to live and serve together as one body despite their imperfections.
None of them had everything figured out.
Neither do we.
But the risen Jesus does not send His people into the world with the command to figure everything out.
He sends them with a promise:
I am with you.
The Savior who died for us is alive. The King is reigning. And wherever He calls us to walk, we do not walk there alone.
Something to Think About
Where do you most need to remember Jesus’ promise, “I am with you always,” today?
Bring that place honestly before Him. You don’t have to know how everything will work out before you can trust the One who goes with you.
Prayer
Father, thank You that Your faithfulness does not depend on my ability to understand what You are doing. When I cannot see Your hand, help me trust Your promises. When I am afraid, remind me that You hear me. When I feel alone, turn my eyes again to the risen Christ. Help me live faithfully where You have placed me, serve others with what You have given me, and rest in the promise that You are with Your people always. Amen.
Closing Takeaway
You may not always see what God is doing, but you never face the journey alone.
The God who stayed faithful to Jacob, worked quietly for Esther, heard David’s cries, and raised Jesus from the dead is still faithful to His people. Christ is risen, Christ is King, and wherever He sends us, He goes with us.
Written by Ebenezer Wayfarer
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