48. Genesis 31 – Jacob Runs

By James Fairfield.
In Genesis 31 we see Christ moving, changing, and growing Jacob and his family, while Laban continues to seek only his own selfishness. The inevitable happens when Jacob and his family move away from the abusive Laban. God uses the last 20 years of suffering to produce great character and faith in Jacob, just like He uses the hardships in our life to mold us into the people He made us to be. It is often through times of suffering that our faith is restored and our hope renewed. Through our tough life experiences the goal of scripture is that we should be drawn to repentance because we understand that God is good. Our goal is not to have our problems disappear, but to be more like Christ. We give thanks to God and repent of sin because Jesus forgives, Jesus restores, and Jesus heals.