He is with You

Genesis 28:15

Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.

These were God’s words to Jacob just after he had deceived Isaac and stolen the blessing of the first born. Isaac had sent him to Paddan-aram to take a wife from among the daughters of his uncle, Laban. God’s words here are proof that you don’t have to be perfect to receive God’s blessing; you must be chosen.

For some reason, God chose to extend the promise of Abraham through Isaac’s second born son, rather than the first. Perhaps, it was Esau’s wild spirit and desire for Canaanite women that turned God’s hand toward Jacob. Of the two, Jacob was certainly the more disciplined and calculating. Nevertheless, God chose an imperfect man to bless and bring forth a perfect promise. In this place called Haran, God chose to reveal a stairway to Jacob and assure him of His presence.

Haran means parched. When Jacob became tired in a hot, dry, burned place, he laid down to rest with a stone for a pillow. Although it seems awfully uncomfortable to me in comparison to my soft, fluffy pillow with a satin sheet, at least the stone was able to elevate his head enough for him to rest. In this uncomfortable place, God showed Jacob the pathway to blessing – God was with him and would watch over him. He needed nothing more.

If you find yourself exhausted in a parched place today, the best thing you can do is to find a way to elevate your head and rest. Even if you have to use a stone for a pillow, get your head above the ground and listen for God. Stop complaining and running in circles. God is with you. You may have sinned and failed, but He is with you. You may have made a complete mess of things, but He is with you. You may have relationships that are broken and a family in chaos, but He is with you. You may be facing financial difficulty and uncertainty by your own doing, but He is with you. He will watch over you wherever you go and will not leave you until He has done what He has promised. What He has promised is to transform you into the image of His Son. God is still working on you, and His plan is still to bless you.

We no longer live under the Abrahamic covenant. We live under the covenant of grace through Jesus Christ. All of our promises are in Him. We need not be perfect because He was perfect, and when we submit to His lordship, we receive His righteousness. Our response should be the same as Jacob’s was to God in that parched place, which we find in verses 20-21 of the same chapter:

Then Jacob made a vow: “If God will be with me and watch over me on this journey, if He provides me with food to eat and clothing to wear, and if I return safely to my father’s house, then the LORD will be my God.”

Jacob surrendered and vowed to serve God. If God is with us, we should determine to serve Him. Whatever He has called you to do, do it. He is with you.

Have a blessed day!