Seven Years a Slave

Sweat-soaked days in the oppressive heat, nights cold and desperate. But after another seven years, plus a few more for good measure, Jake finally had what he needed. He was going to "chop this line" but, ummm, confrontation? Jake wasn’t built for it. He’d rather sidestep that fight than face the music. So, while dear old Uncle Laban was away, Jake packed up his two wives, their children, and took off, back to where he came from. Escape. His days of bondage were done.

There are moments when our minds are tangled in a mess of emotions—choices made in frustration, driven by false beliefs, or just the weight of a world that feels too heavy. Some of these choices we make ourselves, like Jacob with the fleecing his brother Esau out of his birthright by wearing bits of fleece. Advantage: Us/Jacob. Other times, we hold the blade with someone else twisting it, taking advantage of our own vulnerability. In both cases, we find ourselves trapped and shackled in ways we didn’t choose. It feels like escape is impossible, and faith becomes a mere whisper, hope slipping away like sand through the narrow neck of the hourglass.

But here’s where the truth breaks through: God is intentional. Always has been, always will be. The Creator, the one who formed you, knows the impossible intimately. His track record in the miraculous? Unquestionable. You might ask, “What about those who suffer? The ones who never find a way out? The ones who never see their escape?” It’s here where we need to pause. Sometimes, zooming in too closely and not focusing on the bigger picture can paralyze our faith and steal our hope. Instead, make it personal. Put your situation—right now—into His hands. If He is intentional, then He is with you, for you, right where you are right now. Rise. Resist. Refuse, to let the long night claim you without a fight. You are no longer a slave to your circumstances. Not anymore.