This week I keep going back to the story in Genesis of Jacob and his fantastic dream in the great outdoors. Here's a reminder of the bit of scripture I'm commenting on if you'd like to read it:
Genesis 28:10-22
Jacob's Dream at Bethel
10 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. 11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway [a] resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it [b] stood the LORD, and he said: "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."
16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it." 17 He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven."
There is something to be said for the Christian life not being a race but a journey. I've been reflecting all week long on how many was and times that God has helped, directed and touched many different aspects of my life. Like Jacob - I've decided to set out on living my life as a Christian. I have a general direction I desire to seek after, so I suppose this could be seen like the first step in the journey.
Once Jacob has been on the path for a time he needs to rest, so he takes a rock ( I'd prefer a couple of down pillows myself) and lies down on the ground to sleep. As a text I've been reading states, " The Christian journey of three movements: being oriented, becoming disoriented and being surprisingly reoriented...the journey leads toward maturity in Christ." ( Companions in Christ, Chapter 1).
Jacobs resting represents his becoming oriented. He feels safe and comforted - being so secure that he has no problem napping out in the wild outdoors. This sense of peace and security seems to be consistent with the beginning stages of the journey in Christan faith. Joy, forgiveness, freedom and the experience of grace being applied to depths of ones shortfalls of life helps to create the orientation of this beginning point.
What do you recall feeling and experiencing when you became a Christian? How were you oriented at this point of new beginning?
Secondly, Jacob has a fantastic dream involving angels, a ladder to heaven and an image of God himself! This experience of this vision would be astounding and disorienting! Imagine waking from a dream where you could see and experience all of God and heaven's glory. The perspective of our lives would become abundantly clear and most likely we would feel compelled to react or respond in one way or another. While the thing that "disorients" us in our journey may not be as fantastic as Jacobs dream - the purpose is the same. We need to be more aware of God's presence and decide what our response to His glory will be.
Do you recall a time that you felt disoriented in your faith journey - with your relationship with God? How did you move through that time?
Jacob awakes from his dream excited about the things he's seen and the promises that have been pledged to him. God desired to show his glory to Jacob and also want to reassure him or to surprisingly reorient him to understand that, " ... I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."
How have you understood Gods presence and help in your own life - do you have a need for his reassurance about something particular today?
God understands the twists and turns of our journey with Him. God knows what our high points will be ( like this entire dream experience of Jacob) as well as our difficult or low ones. ( like Jacob and wresting with the angel, Chapter 32 of Genesis). God is on this journey with us and wants up to trust him through both the disoriented and oriented stages of our faith journey.
What is your faith story? What point are you walking in? Where would you like to be right now?
Consider the questions as a means of transportation in your journey with Christ. Seek the support of this fellowship in prayer as you feel led. Always know that God will,
...go with you and watch over you..." wherever the journey takes you.
