I’ve been reading about Jacob.  It’s apparent that though he was a blessed man, his life had a lot of difficulty in it.  Jacob’s relationship with Esau and his grief over Joseph are just a couple of examples of the hardship he experienced.

There’s a point worth remembering in this.  The blessing of God does not necessarily come without trouble.  So, just because you are experiencing hardship does not mean you aren’t blessed.  This is likely why the the Bible commands us to be thankful in all things.  In the midst of our difficulties we easily miss the way that God is blessing us.