Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: "I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you." Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it." And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!" Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God.--Genesis 28:12-21
To Each of My Precious Daughters…
Here we find Jacob sleeping under the stars, fleeing his brother Esau's wrath and fearing for his life. I am pretty sure he is filled with anxiety and much uncertainty. He has no idea what his future holds and cannot go back into the past. Trouble was behind him...he had to go forward. Sometimes our thoughts, like Jacob, get so consumed by our circumstances that we forget this. BUT GOD. While Jacob slept that night God gave him a vision and a promise.
The vision was the ladder reaching from heaven to earth with the angels ascending and descending. Reading John 1:43 -51 this vision is clarified.
The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."
Jesus is declaring here that the ladder that figured in Jacob's dream...the ladder that reached heaven where God met man was Jesus Himself. Jesus is the ladder that brings man to God. He is the bridge between heaven and earth. He is the way, the truth and the life...no one comes to the Father except through Him.
The promise Jacob received that night:
Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you."
God would bring Jacob through and bring him back to his father's house in peace.
Jacob's words upon awakening...
"Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it." And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!"
Like Jacob, we so forget that our Lord...our great God is in all our trials when we believe. We forget that Hs presence goes with us and is before us always. We forget that He is God and has promised not to leave us or forsake us. He will do all that He has promised in our lives and will bring us home to Him when the work is complete.
God not only allows the trials that come to us, but orchestrates them for His beloved children to work always for their good and His glory. We have no need to get muddled up in our dark thoughts. As His beloved child, we can cry out to Him. We can nestle under His wing until the calamities have passed and be safe in His presence. His plan for us is from His heart of love. Our trials, though difficult, are our greatest blessings in disguise. They keep us at His feet and surround us with His presence. It is there, at His feet, that we are safe and content...happy and peaceful. It is there, at His feet, that we begin to see what He went through for us. It is there, at His feet, that we begin to thank God for our trials and afflictions because in them we have known Him.
Love
Mom
