February 19th | That Must Have Been Some Good Stew! Do What Is Right.

Today, let's pause in those decision points and ask: Am I choosing the stew of the moment, or the lasting inheritance God has for me? May we live differently—prioritizing the eternal over the temporary, integrity over impulse, and God's will above all.

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Today's devotional centers on Genesis 25:27-34, the story of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob for a simple bowl of stew.

The twins, Esau and Jacob, grew up very differently. Esau became a skillful hunter, a rugged man of the open fields and wilderness—think of him as the classic outdoorsy, "manly-man" type who lived by instinct and impulse. Jacob, on the other hand, was quieter and more home-oriented, content to stay among the tents, often seen as more thoughtful and calculating. Their father Isaac favored Esau because of his hunting prowess and the hearty meals he brought home, while Rebekah favored Jacob.

One day, Esau returned from the field exhausted and famished. Jacob was cooking a pot of red lentil stew, and the aroma filled the air. Esau begged, "Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I'm starving!" Jacob saw an opportunity and replied, "First sell me your birthright." The birthright belonged to Esau as the firstborn—it carried immense value: a double portion of the inheritance, leadership of the family, and special spiritual blessings tied to God's covenant promises to Abraham and Isaac.

Esau, driven by immediate hunger and impulse, dismissed its eternal significance with a casual, "Look, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?" Jacob pressed him to swear an oath, and Esau did so. In that moment, he traded away something sacred and irreplaceable for a temporary meal. Jacob gave him bread and stew; Esau ate, drank, got up, and left—Scripture tells us plainly that "Esau despised his birthright."

This single impulsive decision reveals Esau's deeper pattern: prioritizing the desires of the flesh over what truly mattered. He lived for the moment, letting physical cravings override eternal priorities.

As followers of Christ, we're called to the opposite path. We must recognize those critical moments when we're tempted to choose the world's way—quick gratification, personal gain, or cutting corners—for something far more valuable: God's will and blessing in our lives.

Jacob's calculating nature wasn't without fault (he later used deception himself), but the lesson here isn't to emulate either brother perfectly. Instead, it's a warning against Esau's mindset and a call to integrity. We can't live like Esau, constantly chasing fleshly impulses. We're called to honesty, uprightness, and patience—even when the "easy" or deceptive path seems tempting. The hard way, the way of humility, obedience, and waiting on God, is almost always the right way.

I've faced this in my own life, especially in professional decisions over the years. Looking back, times when I chose shortcuts, pride, or impatience instead of humility and trust in God's timing brought unnecessary pain to me and my family. How much heartbreak could have been avoided by simply choosing God's path over the world's?

Scripture drives this home powerfully in 1 John 2:15-17 (NIV):

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever."

Esau's story reminds us: fleeting pleasures fade, but obedience to God endures eternally. Today, let's pause in those decision points and ask: Am I choosing the stew of the moment, or the lasting inheritance God has for me? May we live differently—prioritizing the eternal over the temporary, integrity over impulse, and God's will above all.