Jacob fled from Laban in fear. But God interceded to protect him from harm. Jacob then continued on his journey to his homeland. Genesis chapter 32 begins with an interesting phrase. It says, “Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them he said, ‘this is God’s camp.'” After the problem with Laban is resolved, Jacob sees God’s protective presence in the angels and rejoices. It’s always easy to see How God has delivered us through our problems in the past.
The very next thing is that Jacob gets word that his brother Esau whom he cheated out of his birthright, was coming with 400 soldiers. Vs 7 says, “Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed.”
My mother was right. “There is always something. If it’s not one thing, it’s another.” You just get over one difficulty and you face another one. You get through one fear and there’s something else facing you. There’s always something else to be afraid of.
It’s harder to see God’s presence in the problems before us at the moment, than it is to see God’s presence in the problems behind us. This is how God teaches us to live by faith and not by sight.