It is good to be giving – in word and in deed. Give your help wholeheartedly. Give your love without cause. When necessary, give money to those who are in need. You will never regret living a life of ... View MoreIt is good to be giving – in word and in deed. Give your help wholeheartedly. Give your love without cause. When necessary, give money to those who are in need. You will never regret living a life of giving. The joy and the peace you get in return is irreplaceable.
Sometimes the flood of life can be overwhelming. Have you heard the phrase, "When it rains it pours"? There have been moments in my life where that certainly felt true. One stressful situation leads t... View MoreSometimes the flood of life can be overwhelming. Have you heard the phrase, "When it rains it pours"? There have been moments in my life where that certainly felt true. One stressful situation leads to another and it has seemed like I cannot get a good break my way. The problems just stack one on top of the other until I can hardly bear the weight. Once the problems have passed, I can hardly remember them and it seems that going through these trials have made me a stronger person as a result.
Jacob may have been feeling the same way in these verses. Although many good blessings have come his way, his twin brother, Esau, has come to his camp with 400 men. They left each other on unpleasant terms, with Jacob posing as Esau in order to win the blessing of their father, Isaac. This action left Esau with no birthright and without the blessing of his father, and he swore to kill Jacob.
It brings us to this scene, with Jacob worried about meeting Esau, praying to God saying, "Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children." (Gen. 32:11) He prepares a gift for Esau, hoping that the gift will soften the wound that Jacob inflicted on their relationship. He is eventually left alone, and we can assume he is wracked with stress and unable to sleep, when an unnamed man comes into his camp and wrestles with him. They wrestled until the next day, neither of them victorious, and Jacob will not quit even though he has been hurt. The other man wants to stop since the day has broke, and Jacob will only quit if the man gives him a blessing. The man does, and it is then that Jacob realizes he was wrestling with God.
When times are tough, we can all feel that we are wrestling with God. Jacob, fearing for his life, problems stacking up, refuses to quit. Against all odds, tired, injured, he keeps persevering. It may seem like it pours when it rains, but when we make it out of the storm, the world will seem that much brighter.
Prayer:
Powerful and loving God, I thank you for aiding me with my struggles. Help me to view life’s challenges as chances to prove my worth to you. Strengthen my will, O Lord, so that my resolve is improved with each trial and tribulation that I get through. I will not quit, as Jacob did not quit, as I wrestle demons on my march towards your Holy Kingdom. In your Holy name, I pray, Amen.
Proverbs 16:9 HCSB
[9] A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.
https://bible.com/bible/72/pro.16.9.HCSB
Verse of the Day for Sunday, August 30th, 2026:
"You are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household." — Ephesians 2:19
Share on Facebook |... View MoreVerse of the Day for Sunday, August 30th, 2026:
"You are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household." — Ephesians 2:19
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Thoughts on Today's Verse....
Those of us who have been Christians a long time sometimes forget that we have no claim or right to the grace that we have received. God offered his grace freely to all people who are willing to call on Jesus as Lord and Savior, then live for him wholeheartedly (Titus 2:11; Acts 2:21, 41, 16:22; Romans 10:13). When we feel we deserve our place in "God's household", that it is ours by right, we are no longer living under grace. To be a part of God's family is a gift. The Holy One who spoke into existence the universe - and we are a submicroscopic speck in comparison - has given us grace to be adopted into his family. Being part of God's people, God's household, is simply and magnificently a gift from the One who knows how to share grace in ways we can't even imagine.
My Prayer...
For the incredible and boundless love you have given to your other children and me, born anew, born from above, born of you, O God, we fall to our knees and thank you. Your power is beyond our comprehension. Your awesome holiness is beyond our understanding. Yet your infinite grace is ours because of your costly love and boundless grace through Jesus. Thank you. A million times over we say it, "Thank you!" In the name of Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware. Questions or comments can be sent to help@verseoftheday.com.
Today's Verse Illustrated

Salvation gives us every reason to be joyful and glad. Jesus Christ has stripped us of all sin and darkness, and He has given us light. He has made us pure before the Father’s eyes. The way a bridegro... View MoreSalvation gives us every reason to be joyful and glad. Jesus Christ has stripped us of all sin and darkness, and He has given us light. He has made us pure before the Father’s eyes. The way a bridegroom would adorn His bride, is the way Christ has adorned us, out of His love for us.
I have an older brother and a younger sister and we always got along well. My parents made sure that we were healthily competitive but above all, supportive of each other. I have leaned on my brother ... View MoreI have an older brother and a younger sister and we always got along well. My parents made sure that we were healthily competitive but above all, supportive of each other. I have leaned on my brother and sister at different times for support, and they have never spurned me of been unwilling to aid me. Luckily for us, our parents shared their love equally, and we never thought that one of us was the favorite of either our mother or father, so jealousy was not a part of our household growing up.
The same cannot be said of the family of Isaac and Rebekah. Their sons, Esau and Jacob, are twins but seem to be near opposites of one another: Esau is a cunning and skilled hunter, a big, strong, hairy, and profane man. Jacob on the other hand is a sensitive, passive, obedient, devout, and loyal man, more accustomed to farming than with hunting. Isaac preferred the manly qualities of Esau while his wife, Rebekah, preferred the caring nature of Jacob. Not having his father’s blessing and birthright became an obsession for Jacob, making Esau swear his birthright to him when he was hungry after returning home one day, and in these verses, tricking his blind father into giving Jacob, posing as Esau, his blessing.
Jacob goes to great lengths in order to secure a more stable future for himself, scorning his brother in the process. Esau, realizing that he has sworn his birthright to Jacob and that his father has mistakenly believed that Jacob was Esau and given him his blessing, has lost all hope. Similar to how Jacob was obsessed with gaining the birthright and blessing, Esau becomes obsessed with losing it, pledging that he will one day kill his brother. These verses make me so sad, because I consider my own family. Siblings should be able to rely on each other, not plot to dupe and murder one another! Think about your own family and siblings: have you been on their side or on your own? In some cases it can be a matter of life and death.
Thought: Reach out to a sibling or friend and tell them that you will be there for them if they need. These words are usually assumed but rarely said, and verbalizing them can make a big difference in mending wounded relationships.
GGenesis 27:19-23,36-41
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