WEBVTT

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Day 12, or January the 12th. Time often needs

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help to be the great healer. Our thought today

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is rooted in Genesis chapter 33, verses 8 and

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9. Esau asked, What's the meaning of all these

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flocks and herds I met? To find favour in your

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eyes, my lord, he said. But Esau said, I already

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have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for

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yourself. The big picture surrounding these verses.

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As Jacob travels south, angels of God visit him

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as a reminder of his promises made so long ago.

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As he continues his journey, he decides to send

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messengers to meet his brother Esau and give

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him some gifts in the hope that Esau's temper

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will have cooled by now. Jacob remembers his

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own cheating and devious behaviour towards Esau,

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and he is desperately hoping Esau's memory is

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not filled with these terrible acts also, as

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his obviously still is. Jacob splits his family

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and flocks into two parts, in the hope that if

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one is attacked, the other will escape. One night

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he wrestles with an angel who dislocates Jacob's

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hip as a permanent reminder of his duel with

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God. The following morning, Esau and four hundred

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men are seen approaching Jacob's camp. Jacob

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quickly sends gifts. Esau rejects them because

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he is also a wealthy man now. The two brothers

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are reconciled, and so Esau sets out to return

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home while Jacob continues his journey south.

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And now our action step for to -day we see nothing

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but forgiveness in the actions of Esau when he

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meets up with his brother after many years of

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enforced separation so often we witness that

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time is not the great healer we often say it

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is. Time can allow resentment and bitterness to

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creep in and destroy what could have been a healthy

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and fruitful relationship. So which brother reflects

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your attitude? Is it Jacob, who remembers and

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makes plans for the worst, or Esau, who has dealt

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with the problem years ago and then encourages

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his brother to do the same? Reconciliation always

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requires some initial movement from one side.

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So get ready to move.