This Peaks and Valleys series had me reflecting on the mountains I’ve hiked, literal ones, with views that take your breath away and climbs that nearly take your legs out. One trip to Grand Lake, Colorado, especially stands out. My buddy and I planned to hike to a high alpine lake. Since snow still blanketed the higher elevations, we were advised to bring snowshoes. I’d never used them before, so I was excited… until we needed them.
A few miles in, the trail began to disappear beneath the snow. Instead of following the marked path, we figured we could cut across and reach our destination more directly. It seemed reasonable. Until we were knee-deep in exhausting snow, scrambling up ridges, and tracking fresh mountain lion prints. At one point, we got disoriented and almost slid down a steep incline. Eventually, we found our way back to the trail, grateful and wiser.
That day taught me something profound: the trail had already been laid out. I just didn’t trust it. I thought I could reach my destination faster and more effectively on my own. I almost didn’t get there at all.
That’s precisely what we see in Genesis 25. It is a story about the danger of striving for something God has already promised. Whether it’s our future, relationships, or purpose, we often wrestle in the flesh instead of resting in faith. But God’s path is already laid out. We just need to follow it.
1. Bring your Struggles to God in Prayer (Genesis 25:19-21)
Before the conflict between Jacob and Esau ever begins, the story introduces a familiar obstacle: Rebekah is barren. It is a significant roadblock in the covenant plan. But rather than panicking or plotting like Abraham did with Hagar, Isaac brings the problem to the Lord in prayer. And he does it persistently.
This wasn’t a quick prayer and done moment. Isaac was 40 when he married Rebekah, and their children weren’t born until he was 60. That’s 20 years of waiting. Twenty years of praying. That is not passive resignation. It is active, hopeful faith.
Isaac’s response reflects what Jesus later taught in Luke 11: “Ask… seek… knock.” Those verbs are in the present imperative. They mean keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. That’s what Isaac did. He trusted God’s promise enough to pray instead of panic.
Too often, we try to take control at the first sign of delay. We pray once, then strive. We get discouraged and look for shortcuts. But faith doesn’t force results. It surrounds them. Prayer isn’t about productivity. It is about placing the outcome in God’s hands.
So what struggle are you trying to control? What are you attempting to fix in your strength? Like Isaac, bring it to the Lord. And keep getting it. Don’t strive. Pray.
2. Receive God’s Grace as a Gift (Genesis 25:22-23)
When Rebekah finally conceives, the blessing quickly becomes confusing. The babies in her womb struggle violently, and in her distress, she seeks the Lord. His answer flips expectations: “Two nations are in your womb… and the older shall serve the younger.”
In ancient culture, the firstborn always received the inheritance and blessing. But God doesn’t follow tradition. He operates by grace. Jacob was chosen, not because he earned it, but because God is gracious.
This is a significant theological moment. Paul even references it in Romans 9 to teach that God’s calling comes not by works, but by mercy—salvation, blessing, and calling all rest on grace, not effort.
As performance-driven people, that’s hard to accept. We’re used to earning our way. But grace can’t be earned. If it could, the cross would be meaningless. As Galatians 2:21 says, “If righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing.”
You may feel like you’ve got to prove yourself to God. But the message of this chapter is clear: you don’t earn grace. You receive it. Jacob didn’t deserve it. Neither do we. Yet God still offers it freely.
3. Don’t Strive to Take by Flesh, What God has Given by Faith (Genesis 25:24-34)
Despite being chosen by God, Jacob still tries to secure the promise on his own. Instead of trusting God’s plan, he manipulates his brother Esau into trading his birthright for a bowl of stew. The irony is that Jacob was already chosen. He didn’t need to grasp. He needed to trust.
Esau, on the other hand, acted out of impulse. He gave up his birthright without hesitation, caring more about a meal than his inheritance. Scripture says he “despised” it. He traded the future for a moment of satisfaction.
Both brothers got it wrong, just in different ways. Jacob schemed to take what God had already given. Esau squandered what he should have treasured.
How often do we do the same? We manipulate situations, rush decisions, and grasp for control, even when God has already promised to provide. Or we ignore the eternal for the sake of short-term comfort. Both responses come from a lack of trust.
Jesus, in contrast, didn’t strive. He waited. He prayed. He surrendered to the Father’s will, even when it led to a cross. He shows us the way: rest in God’s plan, trust His timing, and walk by faith, not flesh.
Conclusion
Genesis 25 isn’t just an ancient story. It is a mirror. Isaac models a life of patient prayer. Rebekah shows the wisdom of seeking God in confusion. Jacob and Esau each reveal the danger of striving, one through manipulation, the other through apathy.
Yet through it all, God’s plan moves forward, not because of human effort, but because of divine grace. He accomplishes His purposes through imperfect people. He did it with them. He can do it with you.
So ask yourself:
- Where are you striving instead of surrendering?
- Where are you pushing instead of praying?
- What have you taken into your own hands that God wants you to bring back to Him?
Stop striving for what God has already promised. Instead of trying, pray like Isaac. Instead of grasping, receive like Jacob. Like Jesus, wait on God’s timing because the God who wrote this story is still writing yours.
