During my time before retirement, I drove to work in many different weather conditions. With summer came clear mornings: I could see the beauty in the sky as the sun rose. In good conditions, on the way home I could see fields and everything else all along the side of the road.
However, the drive wasn’t always in good conditions. Some mornings the fog was so thick that you could hardly see much past the car. In the winter, I experienced some extreme white outs from the snow. I had to be careful! The road were icy at times. It occasionally took me 2 to 3 hours to get home!
Sometimes, while driving through the marsh area I drove through dust storms. Visually, those were as bad as the white outs, but sometimes the dust would get up in my motor and cause other problems.
Preparation
Often, after I checked the weather I would have to leave earlier than my co-workers so as not to be late to work. Then, there were other problems that could happen. Needless to say, driving to work could be very difficult at times! I had to be able to look further down the road in order to get there and home again safely.
“29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: 30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. 31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. 32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? 33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.” — Genesis 25:25-33
Short Sighted
If I hadn’t prepared for what might happen on the way to work, I would have been late many times! Or worse, I would have gotten into numerous accidents and been seriously injured. This is the way many people are today: they don’t look past their present situation.
Let’s look at Esau: he just came out of the field. Whether he was hunting or taking care of something, we don’t know. But, we do know his strength was spent; as the Bible tells us he was “faint”. So what did he do? He sold the most important thing he had — his birthright — to Jacob for a bowl of soup.
Esau was very short shorted in his actions. His birthright as the first born was very important. If any thing happened to his father, he was first in line after him. So to sell ones birthright is a very serious thing to do.
Our Present Situation
How many people do you know who do not look past their present situation? Their attitude is, “I’m fine now and if something happens later, I‘ll take care of it then.” I don’t know when, the Word of God states there will come a day when we will all give an account of our lives. What will you say? Will you say, “I was young and thought I had so much time left”? Or will you say, “I just didn’t have the time: other things were just more important”?
The answer I hear most often is that “God is a God of Mercy! He won’t send me away to hell!” That, too, is a very short sighted mentality. But, in a sense you are correct. Yes, you were young when God started to call you. Yes, some times our lives are super busy. And yes, God is a God of Mercy.
Changing Perspective
But, being young means you have more time to serve God. Set aside time right now to seek that which is most important: a relationship with God. While, yes, God is a God of Mercy and His patience is very merciful. As the scriptures say:
“1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.” — Proverbs 3:1-4
Prepare today for the obstacles you will face later. You may feel you have your whole life ahead of you, but where will that life lead you to?
May God Bless you and His light shine on your path to keep you from stumbling.