How Awesome is This Place?

"Nothing that you have ever done could disqualify you from God's grace." Those were the first words I heard Ross say as I snuck into the back of the church. Late. From, you know...cooking bacon. Likely story.

We were still in Genesis talking about the ladder climber, Jacob. We entered the story just as Jacob goes down for a good night's sleep. Using a rock from the ground, he rested his head down for what was to become one of the most famous snoozes in the Bible. Jacob's ladder: or The Night I Met God.

Notes: Sometimes the realization of all my junk catches up with me. My past sin, my choices today, and my many mistakes I will make tomorrow. But, the hope is that I am never too far gone for the grace of God. Awaken to the grace. I hold all my trash up to you. Please take it away. Release me. Am I running away from sin, which is not the goal, or am I running toward God? I will run to God. I reach for you. Give me a moment of personal revelation. I will never lose Your favor. It's not about me climbing the ladder, it's about God coming to me. God's grace. Grace that I didn't earn, couldn't earn. I am not worthy of it. There's nothing in me that is worthy. It's Jesus.

"It's the place of not deserving grace that qualifies me for grace." (Ross)

God promised blessing to Jacob, just as he does to every one who believes in Him.

Genesis 28: 13-15. Interestingly enough, God promises Jacob His presence BEFORE Jacob decides to live a sin-filled life. Jacob's future, and mine, does not disqualify me from His grace. God's desire is to know us personally, and for us to know Him personally.

How often do I forget Him? Is my rebelliousness a result of my forgetfulness of His presence, His provision, His protection, and His promises?

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

I can count on God. His promises will endure. There are over 14,000 promises recorded in the Bible. He has never failed one yet. He will never let me down. There is nothing higher God can swear by than His own name. When he says it, it is true.

As I remember His faithfulness, I am moved towards Him. God will never cut me off. That is His promise.

When Jacob awakened from this amazing, promise giving dream from the Lord, Jacob says in verses 16 & 17, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it. How awesome is this place?"

I love this phrase. And I love this story.

It's a RECOGNITION of our utter ignorance, and God's omnipresence.

It's an INVITATION to accept that there is such hope wrapped inside a package of despair.

It's a REALIZATION of God's provision of grace amidst our most certain imperfection.

This was the statement from a guy who was running from his blood-thirsty brother Esau. He was in much distress when the Lord gave him this dream that promised Jacob much land, many offspring, blessings, God's presence, and restoration.

And then, STUPIDITY. Jacob bargains with an unbargainable God. While reading this verse today, and seeing the first part of verse 20, I knew we had hit a snag. "If God will......then the Lord shall be my God." Wow. Was he really making God's lordship conditional? Yep. True to Jacob's character, he made a hasty vow to God. Promising ten percent of all of his belongings, Jacob tells God that He must bless him first. The demanded blessings included, but were not limited to, bringing him back to Isaac's house in peace and a continual supply of food and clothing. I wonder how many prayers I have made to God just like this one. "God, if you will help me out just this one time, give me the money to make rent, make my children obey, help me lose 10 pounds, or whatever, then I promise I'll go to church every Sunday." You know the prayers I am talking about. But, God doesn't even address or rebuke this heart matter. God met Jacob on a rock, secured Jacob's position in blessing, and fulfilled His promise. That's God for ya.

Let's talk about this little stone. Jacob set it up like a pillar of remembrance. He poured oil on it and declared it a place of worship called Bethel. The stones in our lives act as little bookmarks of moments that we met God, heard God, understood God a little more. Where are my Bethels? Where are the places where I heard from God, where He spoke to me, where the promises became personal?

John 1:43 and the story of Nathanael. Fascinating. I had forgotten that Jacob in the Hebrew language meant deceit. That nugget of information makes this story about Nathanael much more interesting.

My response:

Are you on the run,

at the end of your rope,

do you find your self alone,

and living with no hope?

Take heart, for

This is the place of God.

Capture me,

Change me,

Lord, rearrange me

Transformed by Your presence,

Locked in by Your love.

Give me a place of personal revelation

Grant me a chance to see Your face

Take my hand,

Change the landscape of my life.

Awaken to the grace

Put that past away

You won't need it today

God's given you a new way

How awesome is this place?