Finding God in unexpected places
Jacob was an unusual choice. He had cheated his brother out of his birthright and blessing. He was his mother’s favourite. With her help he tricked his brother and then experienced the full force of his anger. Esau was like a time bomb waiting to go off. He swore he would get even. He was just waiting until his parents had died so they wouldn’t see what he was going to do. So, Jacob left town. He fled for his life, out into the desert on his way to another land. He planned to make a fresh start and probably never return.
As he settled down for the night he began to dream. In his dream he saw a ladder coming down from heaven and angels going up and down the ladder. God spoke to him and promised to both bless and protect him. He woke up with a fright, overwhelmed by his experience. “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it”, he said. (Genesis 28:16) As a result he promised to serve God and give one tenth of all that he received back to God.
I wonder if you have faced a situation where you have thought, “God couldn’t possibly be interested in this”. Or perhaps you’ve asked, “Where is God? He doesn’t seem to be around here.” There have been times in my life where I have felt like that. The words of Jacob are a reminder to me that God meets us in unexpected places. He comes to us in ways that surprise and amaze us. Jacob’s conflict and fear probably made it hard for him to be aware of God’s guidance and direction. So, God spoke to him through a dream and met him out in the middle of the desert.
After the death and resurrection of Jesus he appeared to his followers on several occasions. Even so, they didn’t really know what to do about the exciting news that he had come back to life. Instead, they went back to their old way of life. As professional fishermen they returned to their boats and nets. After being out all night they had caught nothing. In the morning as they came near to the shore Jesus was on the beach next to a charcoal fire. But they didn’t recognise him. John turned to Peter and said, “It is the Lord”. With that, Peter jumped into the water and swam to shore. Jesus gave him three opportunities to reaffirm his love for Jesus. One for each time that he had denied him at his trial. Peter’s eyes were blinded to the presence of Jesus near to him. Perhaps his own guilt at having let Jesus down made it hard for him to see. It took the insight and encouragement of a friend to help him see that Jesus was nearby.
How aware are you of the nearness of God? What conflicts, fears or guilt make it difficult for you to believe in God or know that he is with you? Be open to the different ways that God might make himself known to you this week. (See Genesis 28:10-22 and John 21:1-25 for the full version of the stories mentioned)
As he settled down for the night he began to dream. In his dream he saw a ladder coming down from heaven and angels going up and down the ladder. God spoke to him and promised to both bless and protect him. He woke up with a fright, overwhelmed by his experience. “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it”, he said. (Genesis 28:16) As a result he promised to serve God and give one tenth of all that he received back to God.
I wonder if you have faced a situation where you have thought, “God couldn’t possibly be interested in this”. Or perhaps you’ve asked, “Where is God? He doesn’t seem to be around here.” There have been times in my life where I have felt like that. The words of Jacob are a reminder to me that God meets us in unexpected places. He comes to us in ways that surprise and amaze us. Jacob’s conflict and fear probably made it hard for him to be aware of God’s guidance and direction. So, God spoke to him through a dream and met him out in the middle of the desert.
After the death and resurrection of Jesus he appeared to his followers on several occasions. Even so, they didn’t really know what to do about the exciting news that he had come back to life. Instead, they went back to their old way of life. As professional fishermen they returned to their boats and nets. After being out all night they had caught nothing. In the morning as they came near to the shore Jesus was on the beach next to a charcoal fire. But they didn’t recognise him. John turned to Peter and said, “It is the Lord”. With that, Peter jumped into the water and swam to shore. Jesus gave him three opportunities to reaffirm his love for Jesus. One for each time that he had denied him at his trial. Peter’s eyes were blinded to the presence of Jesus near to him. Perhaps his own guilt at having let Jesus down made it hard for him to see. It took the insight and encouragement of a friend to help him see that Jesus was nearby.
How aware are you of the nearness of God? What conflicts, fears or guilt make it difficult for you to believe in God or know that he is with you? Be open to the different ways that God might make himself known to you this week. (See Genesis 28:10-22 and John 21:1-25 for the full version of the stories mentioned)
posted by Peter Wilson at 3:23 PM
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