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Experts say to be a success in life, define your passions; make a list of your goals; live with purpose; prepare yourself by education; manage your finances and your time. Jacob had a passion to be successful. He was so ambitious he tricked his brother Esau out of his birthright. He deceived his father to get his deathbed blessing. After fleeing from home to escape his brother’s wrath, he worked for his uncle Laban in Mesopotamia to get two wives, 12 children, and vast numbers of animals. After 20 years, he started back home. As he got near home, he became fearful of facing Esau, his brother whom he cheated before he left. He sent messengers to notify Esau that he was coming. When Jacob learned Esau was on the way to meet him with 400 men, he panicked and sent his brother a series of gifts, hoping to pacify him before he arrived. The night before he met Esau, a holy Visitor wrestled with Jacob until dawn. The wrestling ended only after the Visitor touched his hip and put it out of socket. Unable to wrestle, Jacob clings to the holy Visitor until he changes his name from trickster- Jacob to Israel. So, after years of selfish ambition to succeed, he finally learns that success does not come from trickery and deception, but from clinging to God by faith and having a burning desire of doing God’s will.
