The time had arrived. Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming – along with 400 men. Jacob then went ahead of his family and bowed seven times. Even though Esau had traded the birthright – the position of family leadership to him – Jacob greeted his older brother in a posture of respect and humility. We can only imagine what raced through Jacob’s mind in that moment. What he expected his older brother to do. But most likely, it was not what happened next as Esau ran to him, hugged him, and kissed him. The two brothers who once were bitter rivals wept together with joy.

We cannot miss what God did behind the scenes here. Just as He was at work in Jacob’s heart, He was surely at work in Esau’s as well. When we think of our lives and our relationships, we are right to focus most of our attention on God’s work in our own hearts. But we cannot focus all our attention there. We cannot forget that while God is working on us, He is working on others, too. Broken relationships that may seem hopeless, are far from it when God is at work. 

• What relationships do you need God to repair or strengthen? Pray first for God to work in your own heart, and then in the heart of others.