"Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 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. When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “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 28:10-12, 16-17)
Our journey today begins with Jacob, a man who, before encountering God, had been cunning, misleading, and even deceitful to his brother Esau. He once used God in a lie, claiming it was He who helped him find game so quickly when he was pretending to be Esau. Yet, Jacob was drastically transformed by a sincere encounter with God.
In his dream, Jacob saw a ladder reaching heaven with the angels ascending and descending. This vision, a symbol of divine communion, was the moment Jacob realized the true presence and power of the Lord. Woken from his dream, Jacob was filled with awe and reverence. In his newfound fear of the Lord, he confessed, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven."
Just as Jacob was transformed by his encounter with God, we too can experience transformative encounters that reveal God's real presence and power in our lives. We can have a personal relationship with God, a relationship that fosters respectful fear, deep reverence, and profound awe towards our almighty creator.
As we journey through our day, let us be open to encounter God in the unexpected places and moments. May we embrace a reverence for the Lord that leads to a life of worship, obedience, and transformation. May this reverence enable us to see God's grace and love in our lives, anchoring us in times of uncertainty and strengthening us in times of weakness.
May your day be blessed with divine encounters that inspire awe and reverence, encouraging transformation in your life. And may this transformation radiate God's love, grace, and peace to those around you.