Genesis 35:1-15 (NRSV)
God calls and blesses Jacob
God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel, and settle there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau." So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Put away the foreign gods that are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your clothes; then come, let us go up to Bethel, that I may make an altar there to the God who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone." So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak that was near Shechem.
As they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities all around them, so that no one pursued them. Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him, and there he built an altar and called the place El bethel, because it was there that God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother. And Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried under an oak below Bethel. So it was called Allon bacuth.
God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan aram, and he blessed him. God said to him, "Your name is Jacob; no longer shall you be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name." So he was called Israel. God said to him, "I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall spring from you. The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you." Then God went up from him at the place where he had spoken with him. Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured out a drink offering on it, and poured oil on it. So Jacob called the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.
DEVOTION
The word "Bethel" means place of worship.
I love today's scripture reading because it reminds us that we can make anywhere a place of worship if we are willing to listen to God's voice and believe God's promises.
God met Jacob/Israel outside, God may meet us inside. God met Jacob/Israel after great tribulation. God may meet us in trial or triumph! God met Jacob/Israel with awesome promises and God will meet us with the same!
I love to worship God! I love to get into God's presence. I love to remind myself that God is good (all the time)! And all the time (God is good)!
When we take on the posture of worship and praise, God's Spirit comes into our circumstances in a powerful way!
Today, let me invite you to praise God for what God is about to do!
You may not see it yet, but God is going to cause you to be fruitful and multiply. God is going to bless you and your seed. God is going to make awesome provision for your every need!
Let's praise Him in advance for the victory!
Let's pray: Oh God, how I love you! I thank and I praise you just because of who you are! Thank you for all of the wonderful ways that you make me fruitful in my daily life. Please forgive me for thinking that you've forgotten me. I know that you have a good plan for my life, not to harm me, but to give me a future and a hope. This is why I trust you so very much. Please come into my circumstances and turn things around. I pray all of this in Jesus' Name! Amen.
INVITATION
If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @ http://bit.ly/JVhaLta
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