You will never find a tombstone celebrating business accomplishments or financial success. When a tombstone speaks, it honors the person as a father, mother, husband, wife, or friend.
Ya’akov saw his brother Esav for the first time after many years of living in hiding. In their youth, Esav burned with anger, believing Ya’akov had stolen his birthright. Now, as they met again, Ya’akov tried to offer Esav part of his flock as a gesture of peace. Esav refused and said:
I have plenty, my brother; keep what is yours.
But Ya’akov replied: “No, please… take my gift, for seeing your kindly face is like seeing the face of ’Elohim. Accept this present I have brought you, for ’Elohim has favored me, and I have everything.Genesis 33:9–11
A Life Lesson
There is a deep contrast between what Esav meant when he said, “I have plenty,” and what Ya’akov meant when he declared, “I have everything.”
Esav, focused on material possessions, spoke in quantitative terms. To him, plenty meant owning much. His identity was tied to what he possessed. If he ever lost his wealth, he felt he would have nothing left.
Ya’akov, however —surrounded by his family and aware of Yehovah’s favor— could confidently say, “I have everything.”
Because the most essential things—life, health, family, purpose—cannot be purchased. They are gifts from the Almighty.
For generations, wise men have repeated this truth, yet we still resist it. Ask the elderly, and they will tell you their deepest regrets: not spending more time with family, not caring for their health, not appreciating the simple blessings of life. You will never find a tombstone celebrating business accomplishments or financial success. When a tombstone speaks, it honors the person as a father, mother, husband, wife, or friend. And when there were no such virtues, the stone remains silent.
Society praises material success, but in the end, that is not how a human being is remembered… nor how Yehovah measures a life.
Professional achievement is good and often necessary. Yehovah designed us to grow, build, and prosper. But ignoring what is priceless until it slips away is a tragedy. Ya’akov knew he had “everything” because the most important things were intact.
Think about it:
What wealthy man on his deathbed wouldn’t give his entire fortune for one more year of life?
Or even one more week?
Who among us would trade health for money? No one.
Yet many healthy, capable people live as if they possessed nothing, because they see life through Esav’s lens: always aware of what’s missing, never of what’s already present.
If you measure your life the way Esav did, frustration will follow you. But if you embrace Ya’akov’s perspective, you’ll realize each morning that, in what truly matters, you already have everything.
Devotional Closing
Take a moment today to pause honestly.
Reflect on what Yehovah has already placed in your hands: your life, your health, your family, your faith, your purpose. Don’t take these things for granted. Don’t let the culture define what it means to “have.”
Pray this:
“Yehovah, open my eyes to recognize true wealth. Deliver me from Esav’s mindset that fixates on what is missing. Form in me the heart of Ya’akov—one that recognizes Your favor and knows that with You, I truly have everything.”
And tomorrow morning, rise with this conviction settled deep in your soul:
“I have everything, because Yehovah is with me.”