God Speaks to Jacob (Gen. 35:1)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 04-11-2007

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  God Spoke to Jacob

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                          Reference:  Genesis 35:1

 

            Message of the verse:  “1 Then God said to Jacob, ‘Arise, go up to Bethel and live there, and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.’”

           

            Dr. Wiersbe points out that he believes that Jacob should have gone directly to Bethel, which means “House of God,” when he had left his father-in-law’s land.  Genesis 31:11-13 is where God tells Jacob to leave and go home, “11  "Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’  12  "He said, ‘Lift up now your eyes and see that all the male goats which are mating are striped, speckled, and mottled; for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.  13  ‘I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.’” 

           

            The name of this chapter in Dr. Wiersbe’s book is entitled, “You Can Go Home,” and in it he writes that even though Jacob had sinned by staying away from Bethel whenever he first was heading home, it was not to late to obey God and go where He had told him to go.  I believe that Jacob did not go home when he was first told to do so because he was still frightened of Esau, and therefore did not want him to know where he was.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I have been seeking to figure out exactly what it is that God would have me to do about taking this job in PA. And after reading the commentary in this section I am not 100% convinced that this is the Lord’s will for me to work here, although it surely could be His will.  I truly enjoy working for HRSG, and like the people that I am working with, especially on this job as many of the people who used to work for the company have come back.  I also truly love this part of the country with it’s mountains and streams and beauty that it offers, yet I do find it somewhat difficult to leave our church even though I find it necessary to stop doing some of the things that I have been doing because it takes to much of my time.  I am to complete the third day of a three day safety school in order to work here and so I am pretty much committed to finish the course.  Sandy and I surely could use the money we will make here, and hopefully will be able to pay a lot of extra on our house as a result of working here.

 

The Word of God has been challenging to my heart as I read and studied it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To trust the Lord to get me through this last day of school and to get me home safely as I travel there this evening after the school.  To continue to teach me contentment and to continue to direct my path and to give me the grace to do the Lord’s will in my life.