Ever throw a pebble in a pond, just to hear the kerplunk sound, and then watch the ripples play out across the water? We don’t really think about where the pebble goes after it disappears, as we are busy looking for another rock to throw next. We usually don’t even follow the ripples to see how they change the shore surrounding the pond… why? We simply like the sound made, and the initial ripples that came as a result of the rock hitting the surface.

At my age nowadays, I don’t throw much of anything anymore, especially rocks… I’m too tired. Besides, the pond and pebble example has been used enough times, that I’m sure most have heard it at one time or another. With that being said, I’m hoping my brief explanation is enough to connect you with todays Live Wire … the life of Jacob.

Much time has been spent this week, studying over the life and journey of Jacob, who may have been a bit of a bad boy, I think. Talk about a world of drama… from stealing his brothers birth rite to marrying two sisters, only one of which he loved. The struggle was pretty real for him. Granted there were things out of his control in much of it, but he still did not help things at times… often tossing pebbles into the pond of his life, that only ended up making the situation worse for himself.

Chapter by chapter, we follow Jacob through some seriously disturbing marital and child rearing situations… none of which he handled well in any shape or form. While Rachael and Leah fight over his love and favor, flinging their maidservants at him to one up each other in the children department, Jacob just keeps fathering babies left and right without a thought. It was apparent from the beginning that Jacob was not letting God lead him in this mess… how on earth are you gonna work 7 years for someone, in order to marry the woman you love, and then sleep with someone else on your wedding night… hmmmm. Then, when you wake up and discover the truth, you then work another 7 years for the girl you really wanted. My mind went from thinking Jacob was an idiot, or he was still being that bad boy I mentioned earlier.

Either way, there was a great amount of what I refer to as good bad and ugly, during the years of Jacobs journey. I am not for certain, but I don’t think that Jacob really truly followed God for himself, until after the night that he wrestled with Him… I noticed a marked change after this point. All of the earlier times that God spoke to Jacob about what to do, it was always repeated as “the God of my father Isaac”, or “the God of Abraham”. After that night, Jacob changed… seeking to make peace with his brother Esau, whose birth rite Jacob stole.

This didn’t mean things were all better however, as we learn further on in the story of Jacobs life. Pebbles cast, ripples must still play out…

If God was so faithful in the life of Jacob, then there is hope for this girl too. If he could still walk his journey, through all his own folly and mess ups… so to can I. God made provisions for Jacob and faithfully carried him all the way through his life, regardless of mistakes, misdeeds, or out of control circumstances. So too will He make provisions for this girl, this orphan child… with all her flaws, failures, and scars to tend.

By the time I finished reading through his story, I found that I love Jacob more with all his flaws and bad boy history. It leaves me feeling so hopeful, that even though I stand upon the shoreline of my own pond, where the ripples have come to lap at my feet… God chooses to work through broken things to suit His purposes.

I leave you with this song to wrap up my thoughts and hopes for us all… Broken Things, by Matthew West https://youtu.be/CgvsGJwVvK8?si=YYhMUjGXFQLKpkyp

This Sundays Potluck theme is surrounding Jacob and his story… in honor of broken things, let’s break bread together and turn some broken frowns upside down…