Scripture says we have an inheritance. It is reserved for us, and it is shielded by faith. We have a birthright, and the Devil can’t take away our birthright; he has to get us to give it up. He can’t take it. It’s not in his power.
When we study Jacob and Esau in Genesis 25, we learn about birthrights. There are three things that can happen with a birthright.
It can be doubled.
It can be given away.
It can be transferred.
In this passage, we see Esau giving away his birthright. As spectators we’re yelling at the pages of our Bible, “Come on, man! Don’t do it. It’s a bowl of beans for a birthright. This is a bad decision.”
But we do it all the time.
A couple examples of how we trade our birthrights for bowls all the time…
God has given you peace. When we pray and ask God for peace, He says, “I already put it in you.” In John 14, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you…” It’s an inheritance. “…My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
God has given you a birthright called peace, and you’re supposed to be at peace even in the midst of the storm. Peace, even in the midst of problems. Peace, even in the midst of raging seas. But the Devil has a bowl of worry, and he wants you to wake up in the morning and eat those beans for breakfast. Too many times you’re eating beans for breakfast, and you’re sick to your stomach all day long… and you get up and leave.
Just like that, you’ve traded a bowl for a birthright.
God has given you joy. It’s in you. Peter calls it “joy unspeakable and full of glory in the Holy Ghost” (I thought the King James was in order for this thought). The Devil is just trying to take your joy. But he can’t take your joy. God gave it to you.
But…
If he can get you to eat a big bowl of bean soup, he’s going to convince you to give up your joy.
Every day, there are bowls in our faces, and we’re being led by our senses rather than our Spirit. We give up what we want most for what we want now.
A birthright can be taken away, but it can also be transferred. I’ve found that Jesus, the firstborn of God, will give you your birthright back if you’ll just believe. He’ll give it back. He bought it. He paid for it. He bled for it. He’ll give it back.
We all, like Esau, have taken the bowl. “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” We’re all starving sons and daughters. Jesus says, “I’m your perfect sacrifice, and if you’ll trust me and believe, I want to give you back your birthright.”
Pastor Steven Furtick is the lead pastor of Elevation Church. He and his wife, Holly, founded Elevation in 2006. Pastor Steven holds a Master of Divinity degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a New York Times bestselling author and his latest book “(Un)Qualified: How God Uses Broken People to Do Big Things” is available wherever books are sold.