We have been delighting ourselves for some time now in the past several messages of watching

how the grace of God works in the life of Jacob and learning in the process how the grace of God

works in our lives. Here we come to this point after God wrestled with Jacob. After God won and Jacob surrendered, after God blessed Jacob,

after God confirmed the promise that he made to his grandfather, Abraham, that through him,

the line of the Messiah, will be born. After the joy of meeting the pre-incarnate Christ, after the joy of victory and the

blessings of surrender, now the time has come for Jacob to face something that he avoided for 20

years. For a full blessing of surrender to take hold, there may be

something that you need to do. And that's what I want to talk to you about today.

Jacob may have dreaded taking this step. What was it? Facing his brother Esau with all of the dread of the

past 20 years later. Beloved, that could not have been easy. It could not be easy. You read the text and read

it carefully. You see, after Jacob had

cheated his father and pretended to be Esau, and then he received the blessings of firstborn,

after his mother, Rebecca, told him to go away until the anger of his brother Issa subsides.

After Jacob surrender and receives the blessing of God

and the renewal of the promise of God.

Now he needs to clean up some past business.

And that's not just reconciliation.

It's not just reconciliation, but restitution.

Parenthetically, whenever the Holy Spirit reveals to you something that took place, I don't care how many years ago, and then you're determined to make it right.

Restitution has to be part of that determination.

In many ways, lack of reconciliation and restitution is not only hinders our effectiveness

and the effectiveness of God's blessing upon us, but it also hinders answer to prayer.

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