Genesis 33:1-10 Listen to today’s devotional After deceiving his father and stealing Esau’s blessing, Jacob lived twenty years with the assumption that his brother’s anger would eventually catch up to him. So when he hears Esau is approaching with four hundred men, Jacob immediately prepares for disaster. He divides his family into groups for protection. He sends gifts ahead to soften Esau’s heart. Before the brothers ever see one another face-to-face, Jacob has already imagined Esau as an enemy. Of course, the brothers had a history. But fear still has a way of doing that to us. It shapes how we see people and narrows our imagination, convincing us that resentment, division, and hostility are inevitable. The longer distance grows between people, the easier it becomes to believe distorted stories about one another. But the night before Jacob meets Esau, he wrestles with God in the darkness. He leaves the encounter wounded, humbled, and maybe changed. Then the moment finally comes...
1 Peter 3:8-12 Listen to today’s devotional Many of us recognize that much of life today is shaped by suspicion and hostility. Of course, division is not new, but social media and constant online connection have made it impossible to ignore. Political disagreements, once seen as a normal part of life together, now often turn into contempt. Families avoid hard conversations just to keep the peace. Churches divide over politics and culture. News and social media fill our days with outrage, fear, and conflict. We are constantly pushed to see other people not as neighbors but as enemies to be defeated, mocked, or feared. Over time, this changes the way we see one another, as division becomes a habit of the heart rather than just disagreement. We stop listening. We stop showing compassion. We forget the humanity of the people around us. And much of our world encourages this way of living. Outrage keeps people watching. Fear keeps people angry. Social media algorithms feed us more of w...