Jacob realizes that his dream is no ordinary event; he has seen the Lord!
- P144
So, he takes a stone and sets it up as a memorial pillar, vowing to serve the Lord
if He provides for his journey. - P144
Jacob‘s conditional vow reflects
an immature faith, but it is a step forward nonetheless. - P144
We all have along way to go toward spiritual maturity, but God is faithful to meet
us in moments along the journey when He brings us to new heights of revelation
and intimacy. - P144
Marking these moments and looking back on them will help remind us that God is
who He says He is and will do all that He says He will do. - P144
so they trusted him completely. In the same way, my Lord has never failed to lead
me through trials in the past. - P145
But why do I stress out whenever I am
faced with a closed door? It is simply from a lack of faith. - P145
So, now, whenever I reach an obstacle
I cannot overcome myself, I remember
the Yorkies and quietly, confidently wait
for my Master‘s help. - P145
Lord God, thank you for revealing Yourself to me through Your Word. - P145
As I grow to know You more,
I want to love you more deeply and serve
you morefaithfully. - P145
Help me to trust in Your promises as I navigate this journey toward eternity.
In Jesus‘ name, amen. - P145
Jacob, while on his journey, stumbles across a well which just happens to be the
place where his uncle Laban‘s daughter
comes to water her sheep. - P148
He has traveled to this land on a mission to find a wife, but the woman God has
chosen for him unexpectedly shows up
before he even reaches his destination. - P148
As a man who is used to scheming and
deception to get what he wants,
Jacob was probably ready to use some of
his old tricks to find himself a bride. - P148
But God makes clear that He wants Jacob
to leave that life in the past. - P148
As God leads Jacob to Rachel,
He shows Jacob that He is faithful
to keep His promises and will provide for
him every step of th eway. - P148
Perhaps seeking to impress Rachel, Jacob rolls the heavy stone away byhimself and then greets her with a kiss. - P148
Though Jacob has a long wayto go in his relationship with God and will make many mistakes alongthe way, he has enough discernment to recognize that meeting Ra-chel is a blessing from God and responds with joyful weeping. - P148
We can sometimes fall into the myth that
God gives more favor to those who are
spiritually mature, as though our faith were some sort of meritocracy. - P148
But Scripture is filled with examples of deeply flawed individuals being richly blessed
by God simply because He has chosen
them. - P148
Let us receive God‘s blessings with a
grateful heart and respond with praise. - P148
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