Genesis 31 shows us a surprising ending: Two men, Jacob and Laban, who have wronged one another, depart in peace.

Not because the wrongs were erased, but because justice was entrusted to God. Jacob names the harm done to him, yet he refuses revenge. He believes what Scripture later makes explicit: “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Rom. 12:19). Peace begins when we stop carrying a burden God never asked us to hold.

Biblical peace is honest and wise.

1. Jacob speaks truth without retaliation.
2. He establishes clear boundaries.
3. He releases the demand for Laban’s repentance.
4. And he moves forward anchored in this confidence: “The God of my father has been with me” (Gen. 31:5). Peace does not always mean restored closeness; often it means freedom from bitterness and trust in God’s faithful presence.

Ultimately, this kind of peace points us to Christ. Jesus bore injustice without retaliation, entrusted Himself to the Father, and made peace by His blood shed on the cross (Col. 1:20). Because He absorbed our wrongs, we are free to forgive others. We do what depends on us—and rest in what God alone can do. That peace is costly, Christ-purchased, and God-honoring.

Prayer:

Gracious Father,

You see every wrong we have endured, and You are faithful to judge with perfect justice. Help us entrust our pain to You, speak truth with humility, and walk in the freedom Christ has purchased for us. Where our hearts are wounded, give us grace to forgive; where boundaries are needed, give us wisdom to honor You. Teach us to seek Your presence more than our own sense of closure, and to rest in the peace Jesus secured by His cross. Amen.