Addition by subtraction
“And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him” (Genesis 32:25).
Have you ever heard the phrase “addition by subtraction”?
You often hear it used by sports analysts when an athlete leaves a team.
God often removes things from our lives that we consider very important.
But in the end, we see that by removing that thing, we are better off.
Jacob lost something that was extremely important to him:
– his ability to run!
Jacob’s pattern was simple.
He would deceive and then he would run away.
He ran from Esau after stealing his birthright.
He later ran from Laban, taking all his possessions with him.
However, after the Lord injured his thigh-
Jacob was forced to confront his biggest fear.
He had to face Esau.
And much like the Prodigal Son, Jacob was welcomed with open arms by Esau.
By subtracting his ability to flee, God added back Jacob’s brother.
The Lord may be removing dependencies in your own life.
What you may be missing, though, really may be God’s provision through these times.
How is the Lord taking care of you even while stripping away things you thought you needed?
I want to encourage you to look for the addition that results from God’s subtraction.
Ask the Lord to show you how He is using a recent loss for good.
(PR)