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In the Beginning…
#9. Jacob and the Certainty of God’s Promises.
He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth,
with its top reaching to Heaven,
and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
There above it stood the Lord…
Genesis 28:12, 13
What do we do when we find ourselves
discouraged by circumstances beyond our control? What do we do when life seems to be going in the wrong direction, even backwards? Well, God had some words of encouragement for Jacob. And for us, too, if we have
ears to hear.
- Remember that God is always _WITH_ME_.
“I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go…”
Genesis 28:15a
“And surely I (Jesus) am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20
“All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.”
Genesis 28:14b
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away,
yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us
an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
2nd Corinthians 4:16, 17
“I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac…
I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
Genesis 28:13, 15b
For no matter how many promises God has made,
they are “Yes” in Christ.
2nd Corinthians 1:20a
He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth,
with its top reaching to Heaven,
and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
Genesis 28:12
“Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”
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.”
Genesis 28:16, 17
The “this place” Jacob refers to is the road back to Haran. God had called his grandfather Abram out of Haran (Genesis 12:1-5)
and to Canaan. Now, Jacob is going in reverse, apparently away from the Promise. Yet God was still intimately involved in his life!
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine
or nakedness or danger or sword?...
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through Him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,
neither the present nor the future, not any powers, neither height nor depth,
nor anything else in all Creation will be able to separate us
from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:35, 37-39
Then Jacob made a vow, saying,
“If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking
and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear
so that I return safely to my father’s house,
then the Lord will be my God
and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house,
and of all that You give me I will give You a tenth.”
Genesis 28:20-22
And so through Him (Jesus) the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.
2nd Corinthians 1:20b
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