Reading: Genesis 28:10-22 and Matthew 11:25-30 (MSG)
- Jacob’s Ladder! An iconic story, a rock ‘n roll song, stuff of dreams. Sit with the narrative in Genesis 28:10-22. What do you hear or discover about Jacob? God? The Divine in-breaking upon the human, material world? Can you remember a time in your life when God came so near it was as if you were standing, sleeping, on holy ground? How did it impact you? How did it change the course of your life or the kind of person you have become?
- Jacob was a fugitive and a sketchy character up to this point. His story includes two nocturnal intrusions, this one recorded here and another in Genesis 32. From this story, what do you notice about God and his intentions to bless the whole earth and all of creation, including sketchy characters like us? Have you ever experienced God’s intrusions into your life when you least deserved it, when you felt most alone or “on the run”? How did you respond to God in those moments?
- Take a few moments now to engage with God. Open to whatever God might want to disclose, give, bless you with. Just become aware, alert to the Presence of God without agenda or need. This might be a moment when unbeknownst to you, God is here, with you, present to you and the particular dynamics going on in your life. This could be your own Bethel moment when hard, uncomfortable or unexpected places in your life, become monumental blessings of Divine intervention and life-transforming experiences.