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Jacob is an interesting man. He is very crafty in all he does. He likes to manipulate every situation to his advantage. And he trusts God to bless him through everything he does. I’m not sure how much of Jacob’s life should be emulated, but I think his effort and determination should be. I think too many believers pray and wait for God to act on their behalf. I don’t think that is the way God wants us to work. While there are times God wants us to settle down and wait for His leading, He eventually does just that; He leads us. We are still commanded to act.
Daily Devotion 
Interesting you bring up the whole how much effort do I put in vs. God’s effort etc…Stan is preaching on this right now. I also listened to Erwin McManus’s sermon on this a few weeks ago (Soul Cravings and Wide Awake. Pastor of Mosaic in LA). Between the two of these guys, it’s been brain stretching. Download the podcasts and listen:)
The thing I continue to see is the jealousy and pain of multiple wives. Leah and Rachel are at each other’s throats. Their poor kids. No wonder the nation of Israel was so dysfunctional. When your ancestors did that kind of stuff?! It was not God’s intent to have this type of marriage situation. But the cultural context of the day allowed for it. And yet he continued to bless people in spite of themselves. Makes me wonder what cultural things we are blind to that fly in the face of God’s perfect plan, yet he continues to bless us?