From Sneak to Servant – Jacob - Treasures of Faith - Week 6 Day 1

TODAY'S TREASURE

By faith, Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

Hebrews 11:21 (also see Genesis 28:10-48:22)

Transcript

From Sneak to Servant – Jacob

Chuck and Sharon Betters

Faith Principle #6: Biblical Faith Reveals Our Need For God’s Help

Today’s Treasure

By faith, Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

Hebrews 11:21 (also see Genesis 28:10-48:22)

Dear Friends, 

There’s something profoundly comforting about Jacob’s story. Unlike Abraham, whose faith leaps off the pages in dramatic acts of obedience, or Joseph, who endures hardship with extraordinary integrity, Jacob’s journey is messy. He is not the obvious hero of faith. His name literally means “grasper” or “deceiver.” From the womb, he was reaching, striving, and manipulating to get what he wanted. And yet, God chose him.

Jacob’s story gives us permission to be honest about our own. His life reminds us that faith is not a one-time decision but a journey marked by starts and stops, detours and divine encounters. Biblical faith doesn’t begin with perfect obedience. It begins with recognizing our desperate need for God’s help.

From the moment he grasped Esau’s heel, Jacob was driven by the belief that blessing could be seized by human effort. He tricked his way into the birthright, deceived his dying father, and fled the consequences of his sin. Yet God met him in the wilderness, not with judgment, but with a dream. There, with a stone for a pillow, Jacob caught a glimpse of heaven touching earth. He didn’t understand it yet, but the God of Abraham and Isaac was also his God.

Even after that holy encounter at Bethel, Jacob’s transformation was slow. He bargained with God. He fell into old patterns. He wrestled for control. But grace pursued him. Whether through the discipline of Uncle Laban, the terror of facing Esau, or the agony of family dysfunction, God was chiseling away Jacob’s self-reliance. And then came the night by the river—a holy ambush. God Himself came down and wrestled Jacob to the ground. It was in that moment of raw struggle, when Jacob had no more tricks, no more strength, and nothing left to offer, that he finally clung to the Lord, not in pride, but in surrender.

That’s when everything changed.

Jacob’s limp became his legacy. Not because it made him weak, but because it marked the moment he stopped pretending he could do life alone. His new name, Israel, was not a reward for good behavior but a testimony to his transformation. He was no longer the grasping deceiver. He was the man who struggled with God and lived.

This is the rhythm of faith we explore this week: wrestling, surrender, transformation, and blessing. Jacob’s story is not linear. It’s not neat. But it’s real. And in his story, we find our own.

Jacob’s life helps us see that faith is not about image management or performance. It’s about honest encounters with a God who sees through our masks and still chooses to bless. It’s about returning to Bethel after wandering to Shechem. It’s about letting go of idols. It’s about receiving grace not once, but again and again. And it’s about finishing well, not because we lived perfectly, but because we leaned on the Shepherd who led us all the way.

Jacob’s final act of faith—blessing his grandsons, worshiping while leaning on his staff, and insisting on burial in the land of promise—shows us what it means to trust God’s promises even when we can’t see their fulfillment. Hebrews 11 doesn’t praise Jacob for his cleverness or survival instincts. It honors his worship at the end of his life.

Maybe your story feels like Jacob’s—marked by poor choices, painful consequences, or slow spiritual growth. Maybe you’ve tried to earn God’s favor, fix yourself, or hide from the consequences of your past. Let Jacob show you a better way. Let his limp remind you that weakness is not disqualifying—it’s where transformation begins.

This week, we walk with Jacob through some of his most defining moments. Each day reveals a fresh facet of God’s faithfulness and the way He reshapes us when we finally stop running. From the wilderness of fear to the joy of blessing future generations, Jacob’s story reminds us that biblical faith doesn’t require perfection, just a willing heart and a God who never lets go.

Through Jacob’s journey, may the Holy Spirit uncover the ways you, too, have been striving, hiding, or grasping. May you find the courage to wrestle honestly with God. And may you experience the healing that comes when we surrender and say, “I will not let You go unless You bless me.”

Welcome to Jacob’s journey. 

Treasured by Him,

Sharon

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Adapted from Treasures of Faith by Chuck and Sharon Betters with permission from P&R Publishing

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