Jacob replied, \u201cFirst sell me your birthright.\u201d \u201cLook, I am about to die,\u201d Esau said. \u201cWhat good is the birthright to me?\u201d But Jacob said, \u201cSwear to me first.\u201d So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.<\/strong> Esau was the firstborn of Isaac, the son of Abraham. It was natural for Esau to expect the blessing of the firstborn above his younger brother Jacob. This was the norm in the culture of the time; however, Esau sold his destiny for food. Several times when we hear this, we think it’s impossible for us to do the same. However, many people are not far from making such decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It doesn’t have to just be food. Selling your birthright or destiny speaks about how you esteem it lowly. It shows that you don’t value it. If a person values where they are going, it will inform their decisions today. Esau allowed his belly and his hunger to become his god, such that his destiny didn’t matter to him. This is the same with anyone who allows their belly (fleshly appetites) to rule over them (Philippians 3:19). Esau was such a man. When Jacob asked him to trade his birthright, his response tells you how low he esteemed it. Scripture later calls him a profane man, that is, a man who is godless and does not esteem the things of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.<\/strong> Esau was so ruled by his present appetite that he couldn’t endure for a while for the sake of a greater purpose. This is like many today. He said, “What good is birthright to me while I’m hungry?” It’s like the Nigerian local parlance, “Na birthright I go chop?”<\/em> Many are currently trading their future for sex and money with a sugar daddy or sugar mummy. Many are trading their future for fast money through Internet fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many pastors have fallen and destroyed their reputation for 5 minutes of pleasure with a beautiful church member. Many have not been able to control their flesh, so they sleep with any and every female member. All these are signs of not esteeming the greater purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lord, help me to value and prioritize the future You have prepared for me. Strengthen me to resist fleeting pleasures and to choose purpose over appetite. Let me not trade my destiny for temporary satisfaction. Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Discipleship Devotional, May 20th, 2025 Jacob replied, \u201cFirst sell me your birthright.\u201d \u201cLook, I am about to die,\u201d Esau said. \u201cWhat good is the birthright to me?\u201d But Jacob said, \u201cSwear to me first.\u201d So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.\u2014 Genesis 25:31-33 (NIV) Esau was the firstborn of Isaac, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":347,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"saved_in_kubio":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-discipleship-devotional"],"yoast_head":"\n
\u2014 Genesis 25:31-33 (NIV)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Hebrews 12:16-17 (NIV)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nPrayer<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n