Finding God in Hard Places: Jacob's Revelation at Bethel
Gen. 28:18-19a And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel…
Jacob’s journey brought him to a place where the sun was setting, and where he had no choice but to make this his resting place. Often is the case that we find ourselves in a place where even our rest is difficult. You see, Jacob took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep (v. 11). This is supposed to be a time of rest, of ease, of peace, and of comfort, but instead, even Jacob’s best moments are found “between a rock and a hard place”.
Have you ever been there? Like Jacob, you may not have the cleanest record, but God has sustained and blessed you even in spite of yourself. Even still, everything in life is a struggle for you, all the way down to your sleep. You’ve struggled all your life, and now that you’re finally starting to gain some ground, even your pillow becomes hard to deal with.
If this describes you, then there is a word for you in this text! What is interesting about this passage is that Jacob could have easily written this place off as just another hard bump in the road! After all, what is another sleepless night going to hurt at this point in his life? This place could have just blended in with memories of countless nights before where the struggle was just as real then as it is now; except for one thing…God spoke to him in a dream!
This wasn’t just any dream; this was a destiny dream! You know, the kind of dream that keeps you awake at night, causing you to wonder at the clearness of the voice of God that spoke to you so profoundly. Needless to say, this dream left such an impression on Jacob, that he admitted, “Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.”
Here then is your word; you may be in a very hard place right now, and it may look like God is not there. As a matter of fact, you may have thought up to this point that you’re just passing through here and moving onto another place. However, if you will look hard enough, and listen close enough, you will find God’s presence and hear His voice right where you are! Don’t look any longer for the right place; only look for the right person! Seek Him, and you shall find Him!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill
Jacob’s journey brought him to a place where the sun was setting, and where he had no choice but to make this his resting place. Often is the case that we find ourselves in a place where even our rest is difficult. You see, Jacob took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep (v. 11). This is supposed to be a time of rest, of ease, of peace, and of comfort, but instead, even Jacob’s best moments are found “between a rock and a hard place”.
Have you ever been there? Like Jacob, you may not have the cleanest record, but God has sustained and blessed you even in spite of yourself. Even still, everything in life is a struggle for you, all the way down to your sleep. You’ve struggled all your life, and now that you’re finally starting to gain some ground, even your pillow becomes hard to deal with.
If this describes you, then there is a word for you in this text! What is interesting about this passage is that Jacob could have easily written this place off as just another hard bump in the road! After all, what is another sleepless night going to hurt at this point in his life? This place could have just blended in with memories of countless nights before where the struggle was just as real then as it is now; except for one thing…God spoke to him in a dream!
This wasn’t just any dream; this was a destiny dream! You know, the kind of dream that keeps you awake at night, causing you to wonder at the clearness of the voice of God that spoke to you so profoundly. Needless to say, this dream left such an impression on Jacob, that he admitted, “Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.”
Here then is your word; you may be in a very hard place right now, and it may look like God is not there. As a matter of fact, you may have thought up to this point that you’re just passing through here and moving onto another place. However, if you will look hard enough, and listen close enough, you will find God’s presence and hear His voice right where you are! Don’t look any longer for the right place; only look for the right person! Seek Him, and you shall find Him!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill