If you don’t know what you really have, you can never be really grateful for it. If you don’t understand the value of what you have, you will fail to protect it.

What you have is of the greatest value, but maybe you have overlooked it. And through your oversight, you have traded your best for something so far less. You have settled for something completely inferior simply because you didn’t understand what was truly yours.

Our study of the book of Genesis brings us now to the story of Jacob and Esau. These are the battling twin brothers who teach us 2 valuable lessons. Esau was born first, and Jacob was born holding onto his heel. And this was the beginning of a sibling rivalry that would make Jerry Springer shake his head.

In these days, the first born received the birthright and the blessing. The birthright was a double portion of inheritance and the role as spiritual leader of the family. Because Easu was born before his twin brother Jacob, according to custom and tradition, the birthright belonged to Esau.

In a moment of weakness, Esau traded all of this for a single bowl of soup. How foolish is that?

Verse 34 in TPT, “Then Jacob gave Esau some lentil stew and bread. When Esau had finished eating and drinking, he just got up and walked away. Esau cared nothing about his own birthright.”

Was the birthright of tremendous value? Technically, yes. However, if the one who is in line to receive it does not value it, then the value is forfeited.

A double portion of the inheritance, forfeited. Spiritual leadership, forfeited. And Easu didn’t even care because he didn’t value what was rightfully his. He was happy with his bowl of soup.

What is our bowl of soup? Where have we settled for far less than God says is our birthright as his girls? What have we failed to value as the daughters of the King and forfeited in our hunger for something now?

What we want most is often forfeited for what we want right now.

We want that God appointed relationship, but we will settle for the one available for a meet up now.
We want to walk in God’s calling, but we will settle for a guaranteed paycheck, 401K and insurance.
We want peace, but we will settle for distraction.
We want healing, but we will settle for a bandaid.
We want a word spoken from Heaven, but we will settle for a word spoken on TikTok.

Do we really understand, appreciate and value what is ours as God’s girls?

• Where have we traded God’s best plans that were still in the wait, for the secondary self-construed plans we could have right now?
• Where have we dismissed ourselves from God’s desire to prosper us, and settled for something so much smaller out of comfort?
• Where have we taken God’s offering of hope for our future, and turned it into worry, stress, and doubt?

You see, we know what to do with worry. Stress is so familiar. I know how to wake up to doubt. It’s all becomes so comfortable. What’s not familiar is hope. What’s not comfortable is the idea of truly prospering in God’s plans. How do I feast on what I can’t see? How do I get filled by what I can’t hold in my hands right now while I’m hungry?

You’re hungry. You’re hungry for something, anything. This emptiness you feel within is eating you up on the inside. And this is where the enemy of your soul will come in and offer the little you can have right now to keep you from having the fullness of what is rightfully yours.

What is rightfully yours as God’s girl is his Holy Spirit to guide you in your every step. And that spirit doesn’t allow you to be weak or fearful. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.” That’s what is yours. You have power. You have love. You have self-discipline. It’s already yours. Given to you by your Heavenly Father.

Are you going to forfeit that power over your every tomorrow for a bowl of soup you can have today? You will if you fail to value it. If your phone keeps you distracted, you will never hear the whisper of God’s spirit that gives you supernatural strength and guidance for your next step.

You’re hungry, yes. But are you going to settle for just anything to eat?
You’re lonely, yes. But are you going to settle for just anybody?
You’re uncertain, yes. But are you going to settle for just any answer?

There’s a bowl of soup in the offering for you today, and it will feel so good to take a big spoonful right now – But what will that cost you? GOD HAS MORE FOR YOU!

Esau forfeited his birthright to his younger brother for a bowl of soup. And we forfeit God’s best for what is easiest, what is available, what is familiar, what is comfortable. How much longer are you going to keep eating that soup? At what point will you accept the hunger pains as you wait for the plans God has promised over you?

The second lesson from these battling twin brothers is one we often miss, but one we so desperately need today.

God had predetermined the order of birth and the birthright, and it was the opposite of human standards. The birthright was always Jacob’s according to God’s plan. Jacob didn’t have to trick his brother out of what God had already ordained as his. He didn’t have to twist things. He didn’t have to manipulate anyone or anything for his benefit. God already had it for him. Jacob caused undo trouble with his brother to get what was already his according to God.

And how often do we do the same exact thing? We don’t trust God to really get it right, so we twist things to make it work. We don’t trust God to fully open the door for us, so we force it open. We don’t believe God could really give us the absolute best, so we self-create our best. We don’t trust God’s timeline, so we rush the timing. We grow jealous, fear we will be left out, and end up becoming someone we never wanted to be to get what we think we have to have right now.

Repeat after me: No one can take what God has for me.

Repeat after me: I don’t have to have it right now.

Repeat after me: I’m willing to wait for God’s best.

God, I trust that your plans for me are better than anything I could ever work for on my own. I believe that you have something personally for me just because I’m your girl. Something no one can take from me. I don’t have to force it, rush it or twist it. I will submit to your will, your way, your timing. I will stay hungry. I will chase after only you. And I will be confident of the birthright you have promised me.

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