SURELY, THE LORD IS IN THIS PLACE

In the 28th chapter of Genesis, we find Jacob on the run from his brother Esau, who was seriously considering killing him because of the deception that Jacob used to secure their father's blessing. Jacob was forced to leave his home and his family to seek a wife, and a new life, in Haran, where his uncle Laban lived.

On his journey, Jacob came to a place called Luz and camped for the night. As he slept, God gave him a dream. In the dream he saw a ladder that was set on the earth and reached to heaven. On the ladder were angels climbing up and down between heaven and earth. God Himself stood at the top of the ladder and said, "I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of." (Genesis 28:13-15).  When Jacob awoke, he said, "Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not." (v. 16).

How like Jacob we are. When we go through the trials of life, many times situations seem out of our control, and we wonder where God is in all our trouble. We are even tempted to think that He is not with us at all, or we wouldn't be going through such turmoil. That is precisely the place where God can best get our attention. It is then that we are looking for Him the most desperately. It is when we feel the smallest, that God promises us greatness in Him. It is when we feel the weakest, that He promises us His strength. It is when we feel the most alone, that He blesses us with His presence. And, it is when we feel the most lost, that He lets us know that He will guide and save us. That is when we wake up and say, "Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not." God is always with His children, even when we don't feel His presence or see His hand guiding us. Above everything else, ours is a walk of faith, and we must learn to trust our Savior through the valleys of life as well as the mountaintops.

The ladder that Jacob saw was truly a revelation to him that wherever he would be, he would have access to the throne of God. Heaven would never be out of reach for him. There would always be a ladder upon which he could reach heaven, and heaven could reach him. In John 1:51, Jesus reveals that it is He, the Son of God, Who is indeed this ladder that provides access to the Father. We are accepted in the Beloved, scripture tells us. He is our Advocate with the Father. He is our Intercessor. Outside of Jesus Christ we have no hope of salvation. Like the Tower of Babel, our own works will never create a portal to heaven. Jesus is the Way. He is the Truth, and He is the Life.

Jacob was afraid, and said, "How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." (v. 17).  He changed the name of the place to Bethel, the house of God, from that time forth. If only we could be aware that God wants to be present in every circumstance of our life. It isn't just at church that He wants to speak to us, but in every place, and at any time. Wherever we are can be the house of God. Wherever life takes us can be the gate of heaven. All we need to do is be aware of His presence, and trust that He is with us. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. He has a purpose for our life, and He intends to fulfill that purpose.

Do not get discouraged if the road gets hard, and trials and temptations assail you on every side. Your heavenly Father is allowing you to be placed inside the smelting furnace so that you may be purified by the flames. As the heat increases around you, the imperfections and impurities that are part of your old nature will begin to surface. That's when the Master Refiner can skim them out of your life so that you may shine as pure gold. God's strength is made perfect in your weakness. He knows what He is about. Do not fear, He is with you, and you will find yourself saying, "Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not."

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