As chapter 28 opens, we see the continuation of Isaac's blessing and the start of a new chapter for Jacob & Esau. The first couple of verses chronicles the brothers' individual journeys as they lay the foundation for their own families. We then meet Jacob in verse ten, walking towards a new beginning. It states, "Jacob left Beersheba and went to Haran." The verses following verse ten give us a picture of hope, faith, and a personal relationship between Jacob and God. As Jacob gets ready to sleep on his first night away from his family, he has a dream a profound dream of reassurance. Verses 12-15 state, "And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father, the God of Isaac. I will give the land on which you lie to you and your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."
The word of God is unchangeable, and as Christians, His word guides our way in life. We build a relationship with God through His son Jesus Christ through His word. Hebrews chapter 10:22-25 states, "let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur on another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another-and all the more as you see the day approaching." These verses are yet another reminder of God's mercy, grace, and justice? I hope you read the entire chapter of Genesis 28. As Christians, a habit of daily repentance mixed with a healthy dose of godly fear is seen in verse seventeenth. It helps to keep us on track. Our daily walk with God should encompass studying His word, humility, prayer, and self-assessment based on the unchanging word of God. The choice boils down to this, God's way or the world's way. God does not expect perfection, but he requires true repentance and confession of our sins. We won't always get it right. We are only human, but a heart posture willing and obedient to God's will is a good measuring barometer.
Remember that God loves you, and so do I