I Didn't Know He was There.

In Genesis 28 we read the story of how Jacob was sent away from home because he lied and deceived his father in order to have the birthright that belonged to Esau. Jacob must have felt guilty and ashamed as he traveled alone towards his uncle's house.

As he lay down on the ground the first night, God sent him a dream of a ladder reaching up to heaven. Angels were walking up and down on the ladder. God then spoke and told Jacob He would always be with him. In spite of what Jacob had done, God was with him - he knew Jacob's heart.

In his book," God is Closer Than You Think", John Ortberg writes, "The striking phrase of Jacob is, 'Surely the Lord was in this place and I was not aware of it.' Somehow he was looking in the wrong direction. Apparently it is possible for God to be present without the person recognizing that he is there. Apparently it is possible that God is closer than you think."

I was taught as a child that God leaves us when we sin. It was like there was a revolving door he would be coming in and going out of your life. I don't believe that any more. God is with me constantly, every second of every day. As long as I want him, that is as long as He is with me.

Jacob's Dream.

Jacob had to leave home because his brother Esau was planning to kill him. His parents sent him to his uncle Laban's house in order to find a wife. On the first night of his journey, Jacob lay down on the earth and had a dream. He saw a ladder set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven, and angels of God were climbing up and stepping down on it.

Then he saw the Lord standing above the ladder who said, "I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants...and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed." Genesis 28:13,14

God also promised to be with Jacob wherever he went and that he would bring Jacob back to his homeland.

When Jacob awoke he was frightened and said, "Surely the Lord is in the place, and I did not know it." In the morning he made a pillar and poured oil on it and called the place, Bethel, and promised that God would be his God and he would give him a tenth of all he had.

When Jacob left home, he must have felt discouraged and ashamed of what he had done to his father in decieving him. Perhaps he was afraid of the future and what would become of him. Kindly, God sent him a dream to tell him that he was with Jacob wherever he went. This must have encouraged Jacob, for now he knew his sin was forgiven and God was with him as he had been with his father Isaac.

The ladder from earth to heaven shows our connection with heavenly angels and the heavenly city and the Lord who is above all. The angels are constantly going back and forth from earth to heaven in order to help and encourage us. They are God's messengers and guardians to people. We are not alone. Wherever we are; God is there.