Saturday, September 15, 2012

reveal and respond

Genesis 28:16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn't even aware of it!" 17 But he was also afraid and said, "What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven!"

My journey through Genesis has really slowed down!  I can't move quickly past the early account of Jacob's life.  In chapter 28 he is on a mission to find a wife!  His father, Isaac, has directed him to leave Canaan and find a wife among the extended family in the old country.  But on the way he has a dream...a dream of a stairway to Heaven...of angels moving up and down the stairway and of the Lord standing at the top.  The Lord makes three promises to Jacob: (1) He promised many descendants across many generations and around the world that would bless every family on earth(that's really a few huge promises rolled together), (2) He promised to stay with Jacob always, (3) He promised to bring Jacob back to the place where He'd made the promise...and for icing on the cake, He promised to complete all His promises(ok..that's more than 3 promises)!

Jacob had an awakening...he realized that God was real and was really with him.  He made a memorial to that place of the dream...and then he made a promise back to God, telling Him that if God would protect him and bring him safely home, He'd make God his Lord and serve him with his life and treasure.

This seems a picture of God's relationship with us.  He is present even when we don't realize it.  He has great promises for life and hope for us.  He will be with us at all times and He will bring us safely home.  He reveals Himself and then it is up to us to respond in sincere commitment...when the dream becomes our reality.

blessings,
Rob Smith 

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