This week’s Torah reading is Parashat Vayishlach (Genesis 32:4-36:43). Read on Shabbat, December 6, 2025 / 14 Kislev 5786. The following is a special devotional drawn from this week’s reading.
He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes’” (Genesis 32:4-5).
Jacob stands at a moment of great tension. He approaches the brother he wronged years earlier, uncertain of how he will be received. Fear presses in from every side, yet Jacob still takes steps toward reconciliation. He sends messengers, prepares his household, and turns to God in prayer. He refuses to hide from the past. Instead, he walks toward it with humility, aware that only God can shape the outcome.
This portion reveals the depth of Jacob’s inner struggle. That night he wrestles until daybreak and receives a blessing that changes his identity. His name becomes Israel, a reminder that he has contended with God and endured. When Jacob finally meets Esau, he expects hostility but receives compassion. Esau runs to him, embraces him, and weeps. What Jacob feared would destroy him becomes a moment of healing. God transforms the encounter into grace.
Vayishlach speaks to the places in our lives where fear, regret, or old wounds still linger. We often anticipate the worst, imagining rejection or judgment. Yet God can prepare hearts in ways we cannot see. He works behind the scenes, softening what has hardened and healing what seemed beyond repair. Jacob reminds us that courage and repentance open doors for God to act with mercy.
Some may be carrying memories that still hurt or relationships strained by misunderstanding. Let this portion invite you to bring those burdens before God. He meets us in the struggle just as He met Jacob in the night. Others may find themselves in a season of calm or blessing. For you, this story becomes a call to extend compassion to those who approach with fear or pain.
Set aside a moment this Shabbat to consider where God may be inviting you into reconciliation or inner renewal. Ask Him for courage to take the first step and for faith to trust His work in the hearts of others. Let your actions reflect the hope that God can turn even the most fearful meeting into a moment of grace.
PRAYER
Lord, thank You for meeting me in my struggles and fears. Give me courage to seek reconciliation where it is needed and humility to trust Your work in every situation. May Your mercy guide my steps and shape my heart. Amen.
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