“Don’t Take Your Father’s Gods With You”
Jacob decided enough was enough. He had spent twenty long years under the control of his father-in-law, Laban—a man who was ruthless and manipulative. The same man who tricked him into marrying the wrong wife, changing his wages ten times, and always trying to outsmart him. But Jacob had reached a breaking point. He was done. It was time to leave.
So, he quietly gathered his wives, his children, and all he had worked for, and prepared to slip away in the night. He knew that if he didn’t move in secret, Laban might take back everything—including his family. But even in Jacob’s fear, God was watching. Laban pursued him, but before he could reach Jacob, God appeared to him in a dream and warned him not to touch Jacob.
If God protected Jacob, He will protect you too. Maybe you’ve dealt with treacherous people in your bloodline—manipulation, betrayal, cycles that keep repeating—but God wants you to know that He is in control.
When Jacob and Laban finally came face-to-face, Laban accused Jacob of stealing his idols. Jacob, confident in his integrity, declared, “If you find them, you can kill the one who took them.” But Jacob didn’t know that the love of his life, Rachel, had taken her father’s idols and hidden them.
This moment teaches us something powerful—be careful what you come into agreement with. Heaven and hell both listen to the words that leave your mouth. Jacob had no idea that a secret from the one closest to him was hidden right under his tent. Sometimes, the things that keep us bound are not from strangers, but from the people we love who are still clinging to the “gods” of their fathers.
Jacob’s story started as a short-term escape—a hideout to get away from his brother Esau—but that “temporary” season lasted twenty years. Yet, even in the delay, God had made him a prophetic promise: “I will bring you home.”
Maybe you’re like Jacob—waiting on a promise that’s been delayed for years. God hasn’t forgotten. The promise still stands.
This was my own journey. I asked God to give me the faith to believe for things my ancestors never saw—blessings stolen for generations, even dating back to slavery. I found myself in generational warfare. Like Jacob, I was laboring for what my soul longed for—family, wholeness, and generational restoration.
Jesus said in Matthew 12:29, “How can one enter a strong man’s house and spoil his goods, except he first binds the strong man?” I had to bind every strong man that ruled my bloodline. I was fighting not just for myself, but for my lineage—for those coming after me. It was the hardest battle of my life, but I was determined to be the one who broke the cycle.
Right before Jacob reached his homeland—his promise—Rachel died in childbirth, just thirty-one miles from the promise. So close, yet she didn’t make it. God is saying to you: Don’t fall short of your promise because of partial obedience. Don’t let hidden idols—old habits, pride, unforgiveness, or disobedience—keep you from the fullness of what He has for you.
I’ve wept over losses, over promises that seemed delayed, but I realized—God was breaking my heart for the generations, for the souls still bound, for the wealth stolen from my family line. And like Jacob, I didn’t even realize that God was right there in that place with me.
He’s still the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He hasn’t changed. He’s calling you to leave your father’s gods behind and take hold of every generational promise with full obedience.
It’s time to go forward—without the idols, without the old cycles. It’s time to receive everything God promised you and your descendants. Don’t stop short of destiny. It’s too costly.