Jacob had done it. Maybe he felt shock and relief that he’d actually pulled it off, convincing Esau to surrender his birthright. Maybe he felt the knot of remorse in his gut as he laid down under the stars with a stone for a pillow. Perhaps he tossed and turned a little, regretting and second-guessing, as he drifted off to sleep as the new bearer of the family promise, his dreams filled with light and color.
Angels! Climbing a ladder, up and down. Hearing a voice his father and his grandfather spoke of so fondly, declaring, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac” (Genesis 28:13). And that same voice repeated His promises which included good land and countless descendants who would bless the whole world (vv.13–15).
This promise wasn’t new. His father Isaac heard it when God told him to stay in a strange land and trust Him through a famine (Genesis 26:1–6). Years before, this same promise led Abraham away from everything he’d known in Haran (Genesis 12:1–7), and he would continue to hear it again throughout his life (Genesis 17:1–8).
I can’t help but wonder about the years in between, the years of living off strange land and living with family who sometimes stirred up more trouble than blessing. In the midst of unfulfilled plans, each generation had the words of God’s promise passed down to hold onto. And God appeared again and again to unlikely, fallible people to repeat His promise.
“Look, I am with you,” God assured Jacob as the ladder evaporated into the space between dreaming and sunrise. “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go” (Genesis 28:15).
Most of us aren’t holding out for a plot of land and kings in our family tree, but it can be just as easy to miss God’s promises to us in our own lives. Over and over, as God repeated His promises, God’s people continued to live colorful lives, listening to God yet failing, repenting, and then breaking relationships, only to come home limping in shame—quite literally, in Jacob’s case.
Isn’t that all of us, though, in the great spiritual family of Abraham? We may not trace our blessings by bloodline, but we find them in Jesus, the One who lived a blameless life that only Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob could dream of. Jesus is the One who came to be God’s presence among us, showing us the way, sealing the promise, and blessing the whole world through His life, death, and resurrection.
Centuries after Abraham gazed at the stars and left his homeland behind, a former fisherman and friend of Jesus would repeat the promise one more time: “You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, saying to Abraham, And all the families of the earth will be blessed through your offspring” (Acts 3:25).
The ultimate blessing is so much more than land, power, influence, or wealth. The blessing is found in Jesus, “God with us” (Matthew 1:22–23), living and dying and defeating death to reunite His family and live with us forever.
“Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go…for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Genesis 28:15). This struck me and brought so much joy to my heart. God is always with us no matter where we journey and he promises to stay by our side on this Earth until He brings us home. It’s so reassuring and comforting to hear that promise! I just wanted to thank all of you who prayed for my family member who has lost his way with Christ. God is working slowly in his life because my family member said he was thinking of coming to church with me!! My heart is full and I am so grateful for you women praying and God answering. Keep him in your prayers that God may continue to reveal Himself to my family member and will guide him back to Christ. I hope you all have a wonderful start to your week! ❤️
I am proclaiming victory in Jesus for our children! In Jesus name, I am proclaiming victory!
We are heirs! Hallelujah!
An image stood out to me was the man who dares to wrestle with God. And in some sources he wrestles with an angel. And Jacob prevails and got his blessing and a name change. Have you wrestled with God and His truth? Have you been sick and wrestled with the truth that by His stripes you are healed? Or wrestling with lack though He said the righteous will never beg for bread? There are moments of wrestling, more wrestling episodes that occurs even to the children of the promise, but by His grace, may we prevail and overcome to receive our blessings. There is a fighter spirit in Jacob that I see, and appreciate. Be blessed dear sisters.
To Sister She Donna Wolcott who shared a story from her woman’s devotional Bible of the artist dad & little daughter…so appropriate to the theme of His presence & overpowering love.
“This is the kind of love our God has for us. Fatherlove. The kind, gentle compassion of a dad who deeply cares for his sons and daughters. Maybe you never had a dad like that…. but you do have such a Father.
Let God’s big hand close gently over yours. With his help, even the discouraging scribbles of your life can become a masterpiece. Nothing would delight a father’s heart more.”
Donna ended with this encouragement. “Each of you dear sisters is a masterpiece in his eyes.”
How tender. How touching. Spoken truth. Thanks be to God. And thank you Donna for sharing the story.
Oh, I’m so glad that Emmanuel, God with us, came! His presence abides with us. Sometimes we have to silence our thoughts and focus on Him and what we have in Him! I’m overwhelmed with gratitude!
Good morning all, I would like to share a couple of lines from my Women’s Devotional Bible that a woman Joni Eareckson Tada wrote. I think it fits in with the theme of this study.
“Is God concerned about the details of your life? Does he care about the”little things “?” She then goes on to mention the many little things of daily life. Her dad was an artist an sometimes put his hand over hers and help her create something beautiful. The following came from this act. “This is the kind of love our God has for us. Fatherlove. The kind, gentle compassion of a dad who deeply cares for his sons and daughters. Maybe you never had a dad like that…. but you do have such a Father.
Let God’s big hand close gently over yours. With his help, even the discouraging scribbles of your life can become a masterpiece. Nothing would delight a father’s heart more.”
Each of you dear sisters is a masterpiece in his eyes.
What a blessing it is to have our savior with us! Happy Monday ladies. Praying for you all. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.