Scheming vs. Trusting
BRD REFLECTION 2026
Genesis 32:1–21 and Psalm 95 (NIV)
(Philip Oh from Worship and Music)
READ:
Genesis 32 describes Jacob’s meticulous planning on the eve of his long-awaited reunion with his estranged brother Esau—after twenty years of separation. It reveals a man gripped by fear and distress, yet desperately striving to control his circumstances.
OBSERVE:
Jacob’s anxiety is palpable. He sends messengers ahead with carefully crafted words to soften Esau’s heart (v. 3). Upon hearing that Esau is approaching with four hundred men, Jacob is “greatly afraid and distressed” (v. 7). His immediate response is strategic: he divides his people and livestock into two camps, reasoning that if one is attacked, the other may escape. He prays earnestly for deliverance (v. 11), yet even his prayer is accompanied by action—he sends lavish gifts of livestock in droves, totalling 550 animals. By today’s value, this would amount to between SGD 3 and 5 million—a staggering attempt to buy favour.
APPLY:
On my first reading, I was struck by how Jacob’s scheming mirrored his younger days—when he “stole” Esau’s birthright (Genesis 25) and blessing (Genesis 27). Despite encountering God at Bethel and experiencing His faithfulness, Jacob still defaulted to manipulation. He prayed, yes, but his prayer seemed almost an afterthought to his elaborate contingency plans.
This forced me to contrast Jacob’s approach with his grandfather Abraham’s. Abraham, though imperfect, is remembered for trusting God even when it made no human sense. Jacob, by contrast, planned to the nth degree, ensuring his own objectives remained front and centre.
I confess: I see myself in Jacob. Even as I reflect on this passage, I recognise how often I plan with obsessive detail—prioritising my own comfort, security, and profit. My prayers become bullet points attached to my own agendas, rather than humble submissions to God’s will. Time and again, Scripture and sermons remind me that it was Abraham’s faith—not his flawless execution—that was credited to him as righteousness. That truth both humbles and liberates me.
DO:
- I will intentionally grow in Abraham-like faith, trusting God even when circumstances feel uncertain—not only when it is convenient or safe.
- I will regularly recall how faithfully God has provided for me, my family, and my church over the years.
- I will hum and meditate on the words of Johnson Oatman Jr.’s hymn: “Count your blessings, name them one by one.”
PRAY:
Lord, deepen my trust and faith in You as I journey through these senior years You have so graciously granted me. Help me to finish the race set before me—not in anxious striving, but in peaceful surrender to Your purposes. May my life be pleasing to You. In Jesus’ name I ask, Amen.
