# NEW MERCIES DAILY!
TITLE: The Fear of Facing Your Past
SCRIPTURE TEXT:
“And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men.” – Genesis 33:1
DATE: March 12, 2025
BY: EFFIONG ETOK
Carrier of God’s Word
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Your past may haunt you, but God’s mercy has already gone ahead of you.
INTRODUCTION
Have you ever been haunted by your past-those deep regrets that won’t let you sleep, those mistakes you wish you could erase? Have you ever stood on the edge of a moment, terrified that the consequences of your past were finally catching up to you?
Jacob knew that fear.
He had deceived his brother. Stolen a blessing that wasn’t his. Lied, manipulated, and ran away, hoping that time would wash away the damage. But time didn’t erase anything. Now, years later, his past was no longer just a memory-Esau was riding toward him with four hundred men.
Can you imagine Jacob’s terror?
Four hundred men? His heart must have pounded. His throat must have tightened. His soul whispered, This is it… this is the end.
But what he walked into was something entirely different-something he never expected !
God’s mercy, rewriting his story.
MAIN MESSAGE
Jacob wasn’t just running from Esau.
He was running from himself.
His entire life had been shaped by deception and manipulation:
His grandfather Abraham lied about Sarah to protect himself (Genesis 12:13).
His father Isaac repeated the same lie with Rebekah (Genesis 26:7).
His mother, Rebekah, masterminded the greatest betrayal-helping Jacob to steal Esau’s blessing (Genesis 27:6-10).
His father-in-law, Laban, tricked him into marrying the wrong woman (Genesis 29:25).
Generations of deceit had shaped his bloodline. He had spent his life manipulating others to survive.
Now, his past stood in front of him, staring him down.
“And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men.” -Genesis 33:1
His heart nearly stopped beating.
This was it. The moment he had feared for years.
But then… something unexpected happened.
“Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.” – Genesis 33:4
Mercy met him where he expected judgment.
Jacob had spent years running-not with his feet, but in his soul.
Fear whispered that his past would destroy him.
But the battle that stole his peace, his joy, and his sleep-God had already won it.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Are you lying awake at night, tormented by regrets?
Did you betray someone who trusted you?
Did you disappoint someone who once believed in you?
Did you take what wasn’t yours, and now live in fear of it all crashing down?
Did you once “enjoy life” only to now be haunted by the consequences?
Jacob feared judgment. But mercy met him instead.
And that’s what God is saying to you today:
Stop running.
God does not just forgive—He restores.
He does not just pardon-He renews.
Jacob thought his greatest battle was with Esau.
But his real struggle was surrendering to God.
Before Jacob met Esau, he wrestled with God.
His strength was broken, but his identity was changed.
No longer Jacob, the deceiver.
He became Israel-the one who prevails.
And that is my prayer for you today:
May the Lord change your identity.
May your pain give birth to a testimony.
May your past lose its power over you.
May mercy silence the voice of judgment.
May God give you a new name, a new story, and a new future!
In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Heavenly Father, no matter what my past holds against me, I come before You in humility, seeking Your mercy. Just as You showed mercy to Jacob and turned his fear into peace, Lord, grant me the same mercy. Wipe away my past mistakes and redeem me now for a brighter future, in Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen!
2. O Lord, just as You reconciled Jacob and Esau beyond human expectations, I pray that You mend every broken relationship in my life. Let divine favor go before me, and let me also experience the unmerited joy and peace You arranged for Jacob, in Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen!
3. Lord, just as You brought Jacob back home after years of wandering, do not let my past mistakes keep me outside my place of destiny any longer. Restore me to where I belong, in Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen!
