February 27, 2007

Lent Reading Day 6

Jacob’s Ladder:

Genesis 28:10-17

Jacob, the son of Isaac, experiences the power, purpose and passion of God in a new, unavoidable way in today's passage. Read Genesis chapters 25, 26, & 27 to get the background of today's scripture story. Jacob's history is literally catching up with him. Like his grandparents he trusts more in himself to provide, than in God. So he has repeatedly taken things into his own hands, ensuring his safety, status and survival by trickery, deceipt, and self-reliance. But here as his vegeneful brother is closing in on him, and after giving up his family to his angry brother, he is overwhelmed by this vision of God through this ladder. It's from this point on that he changes - his life, perspective, and world-view is transformed. Better late than never we'd say. You might also say that it's easy to do that when you've already sacrificed your wife and children to save your own skin....but Jacob does literally see the light and change.

With all his blindness Jacob is able to discover, discern and understand that he is in a holy place, that God is present - not just in that square yard of land, but in all of life. How are you aware of God's presence? How would you like to be aware? It's in Jacob's dreams that God comes to him - the one time in his day in which he lets go of his total control over the way he reacts to all of life. It's in his dreams that God is able to come to him and be heard. How are you open to God coming to you, speaking to you God's power, purpose and passion?