All who are honest with ourselves, and others, experience times of fear and distress. In our reading of Genesis 32 through today we find Jacob returning to the land of his father, and meeting again with Esau.

Jacob is afraid and distressed, and he does what we need to do when we are afraid.

And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.  And when Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s host:” and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.  And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom. And he commanded them, saying, “Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; ‘Thy servant Jacob saith thus, ‘I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now: and I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.’ ” And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.”
Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands; and said, “If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.”  And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, ‘Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:’  I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which Thou hast shewed unto Thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.  Deliver me, I pray Thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.  And Thou saidst, ‘I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ ”
Genesis 32:1-12

…He prayed.

Our scheduled reading for January 13, 2024 is Genesis 34 through 36.