Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it's the Lord's purpose that prevails (Proverbs 19:21).

Jacob had scarcely left his father's presence after tricking him into giving him the blessing, when Esau comes and discovers the deceit. It's too late the blessing has been pronounced and it cannot be changed, even though Esau sought it with tears.  “I have blessed him— and indeed he shall be blessed.” Esau receives a lesser blessing that includes “you shall serve your brother.” So Esau hated Jacob and plans to kill him after his father's death. Rachel gets wind of it,  and devises a plan to save Jacob by getting Isaac to send him off to Rebekah's brother for a wife. It would be over twenty years before they would meed again and it seems Rebekah was dead by that time (Genesis 27:30-28:5). We reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7)!

We read later that it was by faith that Isaac blessed Jacob concerning things to come (Hebrews 11:20).  What we're being told,  is that God works out His plans and purposes even through the trickery, the  deceit and favouritism that lies behind the plans and schemes of mortal man.  Hence this morning's title verse.

We  keep coming back to the two humanities, humanity separating into the line of faith,  and that  of unbelief.  But you might ask how exactly was Isaac acting out of faith when he blessed Jacob. The commentators agree that it was in his refusal to revoke Jacob's blessing,  even when he discovered the deceit. He realized that what he had spoken was of the Lord,  for it was according to the prophecy given when Rebekah was pregnant (25:23).  It was of God and could not therefore be revoked.  The other thing here, is that unlike Abraham's careful selection of Isaac's wife  to continue the line of faith, Isaac in his old age seems to have had no such concern. But God works it out anyway! Jacob, continuing the line, would not however exhibit faith for some time (see Hebrews 11:21).

These stories point, in the debate over the sovereignty of God and the free will of man to it being not either or, but both and! His plan cannot be thwarted.  But can we mess up God's sovereign plan for our individual lives?. The story the potter is helpful. We read that the vessel was spoiled in the potter's hand, but that he made is into another as he saw fit.  He is the potter and we are the clay,  so we can indeed mess up His first and perfect plan for our lives. But all is not lost for  He can give us a new destiny (Jeremiah 18:1-6; Isaiah 64:8).  But He may also repair the broken vessel with gold as in Japanese kintsukuroi,  the art of repairing pottery with gold.  The point is that when we stop resisting and put ourselves in His hand the repaired vessel is then more beautiful for having been broken (google it).

Father,  thank You Lord that no matter how much we've blown it,  You don't put us on the shelf, but rather You invite us into new plans,  plans for good and not for evil,  to give us a future,  and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). Thank Your Lord that as we stick to the course nothing can fool up it up, not circumstances, not other people's sin or manipulation, nothing! You work Your sovereign plan Lord and nothing can stop it.  There's no one like You Lord,  what  else can say but  thank Lord in Jesus Name Amen