Hey friends! Welcome back to Strong and Courageous!

Have you ever been so hungry that you just couldn’t wait to eat? Maybe you skipped breakfast, and by lunchtime, you were ready to eat anything.

That’s kind of what happened to a guy in the Bible named Esau — except his hunger didn’t just cost him lunch… it cost him something much bigger.

Esau and Jacob were twin brothers, but Esau was born first. Back then, that meant Esau had something called a birthright — a special blessing and inheritance given to the oldest son.

It meant leadership, land, and God’s favor for generations. It was a big deal.

One day, Esau came home from hunting, starving. His brother Jacob was cooking a pot of stew, and it smelled so good.

Esau said, “Quick! Give me some of that stew!”

Jacob saw a chance and said, “I’ll trade you — my stew for your birthright.”

You’d think Esau would laugh and say, “No way!” But he didn’t.

He said, “I’m starving — what good is a birthright if I die of hunger?”

So he traded his blessing for a bowl of soup.

It sounds crazy, right? But sometimes we do the same thing.

We give in to temptation for something that feels good right now and forget about what really matters later.

Maybe we trade honesty for a quick lie to stay out of trouble.

Maybe we trade purity, kindness, or obedience to God just to fit in.

Those choices might feel good for a moment, but they can cost us big blessings down the road.

Don’t trade what’s valuable for what’s temporary.

When temptation comes, remember: the enemy loves to offer “quick bowls of stew” that look satisfying — but God’s blessings are worth waiting for.

Hold on to your faith. Don’t sell out your future for something small today.