January 14

In Genesis 26-27, we see Isaac and Rebekah facing both blessings and challenges. God reaffirms His covenant with Isaac, promising to bless him and multiply his descendants, just as He had promised Abraham. Yet Isaac, like his father Abraham, faces fear and uncertainty. When he encounters Abimelech, he lies about Rebekah being his sister to protect himself, revealing his struggle to fully trust in God’s protection. In Genesis 27, Rebekah and Jacob take matters into their own hands to secure the blessing for Jacob, using deception to obtain what God had already intended to give him. Their story shows us how even those closest to God’s promises can struggle to trust His timing, sometimes resorting to human schemes rather than resting in God’s faithfulness.

In Mark 10, we see Jesus teaching on true faith, humility, and dependence on God. When people bring children to Jesus, the disciples try to turn them away, but Jesus says, “Let the children come to me…for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14). Children exemplify dependence and trust, qualities Jesus calls us to emulate in our relationship with God. Later in the chapter, Jesus encounters a rich young man who desires eternal life but struggles to give up his possessions to follow Jesus. This story highlights the challenge of trusting God over our own security or resources, showing that following Jesus often requires us to surrender what we hold dear.

The actions of Isaac, Rebekah, and Jacob—and Jesus’ teachings in Mark—challenge us to evaluate how much we trust God’s promises. Like Isaac, we may face moments where fear tempts us to take matters into our own hands. Like Rebekah and Jacob, we may try to manipulate situations rather than waiting for God’s plan to unfold. But Jesus teaches that childlike faith—one that depends on God’s provision and timing—is the key to entering His kingdom.

Jesus calls us to trust Him as a child trusts their parent: fully, without trying to control the outcome. The rich young man’s story shows that letting go of our attachments, whether they are fears, plans, or possessions, allows us to follow Jesus more fully. When we surrender, God is free to work powerfully in our lives, blessing us beyond what we could have achieved by our own efforts.

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