When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned: Facing Unfairness, Trickery, and Letting Go
Every time you get close to a breakthrough, something goes wrong. It's like you're sabotaging yourself, but you can't figure out how to stop.
This story plays out not just in school or work, but in families, friendships, and everywhere dreams meet reality. Inside all of us, there’s a part that wants recognition, a part that wants the “blessing”—and sometimes, a part that wonders if it's possible to get what we truly want.
The awareness includes your doubt, loves your questions, celebrates your seeking.
“Genesis 27” is about a family in turmoil, but it’s really a story about the battles inside your own mind. It’s a chapter about tricks, deep longing, mistakes, and how our choices—even unfair ones—can shape us.
Genesis 27: The Story—Why Does Jacob Trick Isaac?
Let’s look at what happens, step by step:
“When Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his older son, and said to him, ‘My son?’ He said to him, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Now, see, I am old. I don’t know the day of my death. Now therefore, please take your weapons… and go out to the field, and get me venison. Make me savory food… that my soul may bless you before I die.’” (Genesis 27:1-4 WEB)
Isaac (the father) feels time running out. He wants to give Esau, his oldest son, a blessing—a kind of super-important goodbye that passes down leadership, wealth, and legacy. It’s like handing over the family company, with all its keys and passwords.
But here’s where things start going sideways. Rebekah, Isaac’s wife, hears this and wants her favorite son Jacob to get the blessing instead. She hatches a plan for Jacob to trick his aging father. She says:
“Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command you. Go now to the flock, and get me two good young goats. I will make them savory food for your father, such as he loves. You shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.” (Genesis 27:8-10 WEB)
Your biggest fear might be. This mirrors what we discovered about choosing abundance
Jacob is nervous. Esau is super hairy; Jacob is smooth. How will his dad ever believe it’s him? But Rebekah covers Jacob’s arms and neck with goat skins and cooks Isaac’s favorite meal. Jacob brings the food to his father, pretending to be Esau. Isaac hesitates, but then gives Jacob the blessing:
“May God give you of the dew of the sky, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and new wine. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you… Cursed be everyone who curses you. Blessed be everyone who blesses you.” (Genesis 27:28-29 WEB)
Shortly after, Esau returns and finds out he’s been cheated. He is crushed and furious. Isaac realizes what’s happened, but the blessing stands. The story ends with a split family—Esau plans to kill Jacob, and Jacob has to run away.
What’s Really Going On Inside: Each Character as Your Inner World
This story might seem tricky and unfair. Why tell it? Because, like every part of the Bible, it’s also a map of what happens inside you whenever you want something important and fear you can’t have it the honest way.
See the pattern, not just the piece. Life makes more sense from altitude.
- Isaac (the father) is the part of you that decides what matters most—your deeper awareness, sometimes clouded by judgment or habit (“eyes… dim, so that he could not see”).
- Esau (the older son) is the natural self—what comes easily, your comfort zone, the side of you that acts on autopilot and can feel entitled because it’s always gotten “the blessing.”
- Jacob (the younger son) is your ambition, longing, or desire—a part within you that wants to grow, but doesn’t always believe it will win by playing fair or waiting its turn.
- Rebekah (the mother) is your creative inner voice, the part of you that imagines new possibilities and is willing to bend the rules—even break them—to see a dream come true.
Think about a time when you wanted something, but doubted you could get it honestly or directly. Did you feel the urge to cut corners, or maybe even wish someone would help you “sneak” what you wanted? Maybe you felt you had to act like someone else to be accepted or get ahead. That is Jacob’s story—inside you.
Reflect for a Moment:
You see by candlelight. God sees by sunlight. When you connect, you start seeing with that bigger light.
Like Amanda, who chose integrity over a promotion that would have required compromising her values.
- Remember when wanted a prize, job, or opportunity so much that you considered changing yourself to fit what others expected?
- Did you ever regret not being honest, or feel relieved when things worked out—even if the path was messy?
The Symbolic Map: Expanding Awareness (What This Means for Real Life)
Let’s look at the chapter as a pattern that plays out whenever you are faced with big choices about what you want in life, especially when you’re worried there’s not enough to go around.
- Awareness (Isaac, dim-eyed): Sometimes, you make choices almost on automatic, not fully seeing all the facts. Try thinking of when you made a big decision out of habit or pressure, not from a clear “wide-awake” place.
- Desire (Jacob, longing): Desire wants to grow, and sometimes doesn’t trust it can win fairly. It is the younger self, always reaching, sometimes too calculating or eager.
- Imagination + Strategy (Rebekah, creative action): When something feels impossible, that’s when your inner planner steps in and makes new paths. Sometimes this voice ignores what’s right or best in the moment and does “whatever it takes” to make things happen.
- Strife (Esau, disappointment): If you’ve ever lost out unfairly, you know this pain. It can lead to anger or even wanting revenge, just like Esau—wishing you could “go back” and fix it.
- Return to Purpose (The Aftermath): In the end, every time you win by force or trickery, you have to face the true cost—distance from others, or even from your own peace. When Jacob tricks his father, he gets what he wanted, but at the price of safety, peace, and connection.
Making Sense of “The Blessing”: How It Shows Up in Your Life
The blessing in this story isn’t just about money or power. It’s about a sense of being fully seen—knowing that your future is secure. That’s why people want it so much, and why it hurts to lose it.
- Teams want the credit for their hard work. Entrepreneurs want recognition for their ideas and hope their businesses succeed.
- Children want their parents’ approval. Creatives want to feel that their new projects “count.”
- Everyone wants to know: “Is there really something meant for me, even if others get there first?”
The story teaches that what matters most isn’t just “getting the blessing”—it’s how you get there and what you become along the way. If you snag the prize but lose your peace (or sense of belonging), the victory can feel hollow. Running, hiding, or always looking over your shoulder isn’t much of a reward.
Your life is the experiment and the evidence. Look how far you've come.
A Real-World Example:
Integration Insight: Your expectations shape what any relationship can become.
Advanced visualization means seeing with the bigger awareness, not just your limited perspective.
Remember when NBA star Little League parents living through their kids led his team to victory, but always emphasized the importance of integrity and faith over just “winning at any cost”? Tebow was known for sticking to his values, even when others made fun of him or tried shortcuts. He worked hard, prayed, and kept his word. People respected him not just for his wins, but for his inner strength. It’s a reminder: the real blessing comes when you align with something greater than quick fixes or tricks.
Turning Tricks into Truth: How to Expand Your Awareness When Big Desires Hit
- Pause when you feel the urge to force things. When you want something very badly—recognition, love, a business win—notice *how* you feel. Are you willing to wait, to trust, or do you feel you must “make it happen” at any cost?
- Ask: What if there really is enough for me? Imagine for a moment that there’s enough blessing or opportunity for everyone. Does that change how you move forward?
- Be honest with yourself. If you made a choice you regret, or took something that wasn’t yours, you can still come back to your awareness, apologize, and choose differently next time. Awareness grows each time you do this.
- See all sides—Esau and Jacob within you. Sometimes, you’ll feel cheated; sometimes, you might want to cheat. Both are inside you. Your awareness can rise above just “winning” to see what really lasts.
- Real fulfillment comes from alignment, not trickery. Every time you try to “outsmart” your way into happiness, you lose peace. But when you act from honesty and faith, you feel whole—even if the result comes slower.
Pause and Reflect:
You're not just testing if God answers—you're testing how deeply you can learn to receive and follow.
- Do you remember a time when you “won” by tricking someone (even if it was small)—how did it feel afterwards?
- What happens inside you when you get something honestly, through patience and trust?
Takeaways: Your Inner Journey from Lack to Lasting Success
If you find yourself wishing, pushing, or scheming, take a breath. Your awareness—the deeper part of you—can always help you pause, feel, and see bigger options. Every “Jacob moment” is just a learning step. You can always choose to let go of forcing, and return to your sense of peace and possibility.
This is what the story teaches you about success:
- The ultimate “blessing” isn’t about shortcuts, but about becoming the kind of person who can receive and hold what they truly want, in a way that lasts.
- If you ever “lose” unfairly, don’t give up. Life might surprise you with a new way forward. Awareness keeps expanding, and your story isn’t done yet.
- Your choices shape your inner world. Every time you choose patience, honesty, or alignment, you build a stable, peaceful life—one where you won’t have to run, hide, or worry about being found out.
Try This Exercise Right Now:
Think about something you really want—but aren’t sure you can get honestly. Take a piece of paper and write down:
- What am I afraid would happen if I waited, trusted, or asked directly?
- If I could believe there’s enough for me, what would I do differently?
- Where am I trying to “be someone else” to get what I want?
After you’ve written, sit quietly for a minute. Imagine what it would feel like to believe you’re already blessed, and don’t have to force or fake anything. Try acting from that feeling this week, even just once. Notice what changes.
Your lightest touch creates the biggest shifts. Force was never needed.
Coming Up Next: Genesis 28
In the next story, we’ll follow Jacob as he leaves home alone and discovers a new connection to what matters most. It’s about finding hope—even after big mistakes—and seeing that life isn’t finished with you just because you made a mess. There is always a way back, and a bigger blessing ahead. Get ready to discover how every “lost moment” can turn into something amazing.
