HOLD ON TIGHT.......HERE WE GO!!

My dad was a fun dad!  One Christmas he bought me skis. But where we lived there were no ski hills! He laughed!

I exclaimed, “What good are they!” But I put them on anyway and made my way out to our front lawn.  The snow plow had plowed the parking lot of the Hoyt church and had made a large pile of snow on our front lawn. I did the side step thing up the side of the mound and then pointed the skis downhill! I skied for about 6 feet and stopped. That was it! A 6 foot downhill ski slope! WOW! I returned to the top and went down again! And again, and again! I did this for the better part of an hour as my dad watched from the window…..LAUGHING!

Finally, Dad opened the front door and said, “I have an idea!” Dad went into the garage and got a rope! We drove the car to the old Gillet Road that hadn’t yet been plowed. The snow was light and perfect for skiing. He hooked the rope to the trailer hitch of the car and then He said, “Tie this end of the rope around your waist! I said, “OK!” As I fixed the rope to my waist, suddenly MY LIFE FLASHED BEFORE ME! My brain began to communicate with my body saying, “What’s wrong with this picture, son?” Don’t even think about it! I quickly unfastened the rope from my waist and said to Dad, “I think I would just rather hold the ROPE!” He laughed! Then he said, “HOLD ON TIGHT AND DON’T LET GO!!”

THIS REMINDS ME OF THE STORY OF JAKE

JAKES BIRTHDAY

Before Jake was born, Jake’s mom was gonna have a baby. She had the baby and named him Esau. But moments after he was born another son was born saying, HEY WAIT FOR ME! She had twins! This second boy WAS RED HEADED! AND THE BIBLE SAYS HE WAS HOLDING ONTO HIS BROTHERS HEEL! He had a grip on his brothers heel and he just wouldn’t let go! It seems that this GRIP followed him all of his life.

THE BIRTHRIGHT

As they grew older Jake realized he was not the oldest son since he was born after Esau. So that meant he wasn’t entitled to the Firstborn Birthright. The “Firstborn was entitled to the greater inheritance whenever Dad passed away. So, 60 percent of the inheritance always went to the firstborn and the remaining inheritance was evenly divided among the other siblings. Jake wanted the larger inheritance so much! And he decided to do whatever it would take to get it!

When the twins were about 12 years old, Esau was out hunting and when he came in from hunting he was so tired and hungry. It so happened that Jake was cooking a big pot of stew over the open fire. Esau said, “Can I have some stew?”   SURE! YOU CAN HAVE SOME STEW.…. JUST TRADE ME THE BIRTHRIGHT! The deal was made, and Jake now rightfully owned the Birthright! Now all he needed was his Father’s blessing….. and he got that too with the help of his mother!

Jake now had the birthright and the blessing!  AND HE HELD ONTO THEM TIGHT!

MARRYING RACHEL

When Jake turned 18, he fell in love with a girl named Rachel. He asked her dad if he could marry her. Laban said, “Sure!….. But you must work for 7 years for me FIRST.

On the wedding day the Bride was coming down the aisle with a heavy vale over her face. But it turned out to be Leah…..Rachels sister! Leah was not as pretty and Rachel. Jake had to work yet another 7 years in order to marry the girl he really wanted….Rachel! To Jake it seemed like nothing! WHEN HE GOT WHAT HE WANTED, AGAIN, HE HELD ON TIGHT!

WRESTLING WITH THE ANGEL

Another time Jake wrestled all night long!  “Let me go!” Said the Angel. “NO! NOT UNTIL YOU GIVE ME WHAT I WANT!”

I want the Blessing of God! Jake’s hip was knocked out of joint, but he continued to wrestle! HE WOULDN’T LET GO! HE JUST HELD ON TIGHT!

THE BIRTH OF JOSEPH

Jake loved his son, Joseph. He was his favorite boy. Jake had 12 boys all together.

The brothers were very jealous of Joseph. “Let’s kill him!”, they said. They hated him!

First, they threw him into a pit but then changed their minds and instead decided to sell him as a slave.

They took the “Coat of many colors” that Jake had made Joseph and dipped it into animal’s blood.

They took the coat to Jake and said, “JOSEPH IS DEAD!” But Joseph wasn’t dead! They lied to their father! Sadly, Jake believed them! For the first time in his life it seemed as though he lost his grip and forgot to hold on tight to something that belonged to him.

Later on, a famine came to the land and people were dying of starvation. And thankfully GOD WAS WITH JOSEPH. Joseph had grown up and he had become a very important man in Egypt in charge of the corn eventually saving his entire family from starvation.

BUT JAKE WAS HOME STILL REMEMBERING AND GRIEVING ABOUT HIS FAVORITE SON.

When Jake was real old, he found out the Joseph wasn’t dead! He was happy…..but think of all those years that he thought Joseph was dead! Years that were lost grieving over a dead son that wasn’t even dead! That’s just like that evil satan that tries to make you lose your grip on things that rightfully belong to you!

So here’s the point;

YOU NEED TO HOLD ONTO THE THINGS THAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO YOU! HOLD ONTO JESUS AND DON’T EVER LET HIM GO!

There will be many things in life that will try to make you lose grip and forfeit what rightfully belongs to you! BUT DON’T YOU EVER LET GO!

Satan will lie to you! BUT DON’T YOU EVER LET GO!

Satan will say you are worthless! BUT DON’T YOU EVER LET GO!

Friends will make fun of you for serving Jesus! BUT DON’T YOU EVER LET GO!

God wants to bless your life! Don’t EVER let Satan steal that from you! JUST HOLD ON TIGHT!