Genesis 28:1–22

At the end of chapter 27, Jacob is on the run. This was a result of his getting the one thing he wanted--the blessings of the firstborn. But he lost "everything" in the process of getting it. Along with the "blessing," he got his brother's hatred, his mother's fear, and his father's grief. Now he is alone for the first time in his life. No family behind him. No clear future ahead. Just the road, and the dark, and the in-between.

It is here that God meets him.

One may wonder what happened? Didn't Isaac bless Jacob? Is this what "blessings" look like? In the wilderness, all alone, Jacob lies down on bare ground with a stone for a pillow. And in that place, he dreams. In his dream, he sees a stairway or ramp stretching from earth to heaven, with angels ascending and descending along it. Then God speaks. And what is striking is that He does not come with correction first. He comes with a promise.

"The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring… I am with you and will keep you wherever you go."

It is the same promise given to Abraham, the same promise given to Isaac, now spoken to Jacob, who has done nothing to deserve it. Jacob is exhausted, displaced, and uncertain of his future. And yet God comes, not because Jacob has earned it, but because God is faithful to His promise.

Jacob wakes up from the dream and says,

"Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it."

Jacob realizes that God had been there all along, and that is often the case for us as well. Our problem isn't so much that God is far away from us. Our problem is that he feels distant. But the promise of God is that he is near. He meets us where we are. He does not wait for us to get our lives together before He shows up.

The Gospel tells us that Jesus is the true stairway. He is the bridge between heaven and earth, the one in whom God fully comes to us and through whom we are brought to God. Jacob saw a shadow. We see the substance. This means the presence of God is no longer tied to a place like Bethel. It is found in a person.

Jacob responds by setting up a stone, naming the place Bethel (House of God), and making a vow. It is not a religious response but a real one. A new beginning. Let's remember that God does not wait to meet us until everything is resolved and ordered. No, he meets us in the middle of our "messy" lives. The "Bethel" is not a building or an organization. The "Bethel" is wherever the saints dream of God and seek to bring heaven into everyday life. Are you dreaming of God today? Are you waking up to God's reality from your "dreams"?

For your reflection today:

• Where in your life right now feels like in-between (a season of transition, uncertainty, or quiet fear)? What would it look like to trust that God is present with you there, even if you don’t yet see it?

• If Jesus is the true "bridge" between heaven and earth, how might you rely on Him today?

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, forgive us for assuming that You only meet us when we have our "acts" together. Help us realize that you meet us as you met Jacob. You are the God who meets us in the hour of our darkness, and even in the middle of running. Remind us that Your presence does not wait for our worthiness. Help us to realize that in Christ, the stairway has already come down.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.