29th June 2022
Recognising God’s presence
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!” But he was also afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven!” Genesis 28:16-17 (NLT)
On the run from his brother Esau and travelling towards Haran and his Uncle Laban’s house, Jacob settled down for the night with only a rock for a pillow, not the most comfortable situation to be in, but Jacob had brought this situation on himself. One can only imagine what Jacob’s thoughts were at that time, but we know that he could not have anticipated what would happen next. In a dream he was given a stark reminder that God and his angels are actively involved in the affairs of men.
The Lord told Jacob in the dream that he could count on His presence at all times and the Lord had great plans for him, that He was committed to bring to pass (v.15). Jacob awoke and exclaimed, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!” (v.16). No doubt he was caught up in his own schemes and anxieties and it took a dramatic dream, when he was all alone, to get his attention and focus his mind on the presence of God.
It’s amazing how the vast majority of people are completely unaware of God’s involvement in human affairs, and even many Christians can, at times, fail to recognise the presence of God in their lives. In the world in which we live, there are so many distractions – perhaps more than in Jacob’s day. As we seek to live out our faith, amid all the tensions and clamours of life, we may not always be conscious of the Lord’s presence.
Like Jacob, we often need to find a quiet place where the Lord can speak the truth to us in love. God got Jacob’s attention through a dream, but God can and will use many different situations in order to get our attention, and when He does, just like Jacob, we are struck with the awesomeness of the Lord. And no doubt, we – like Jacob – respond with a fresh commitment of service and allegiance to the God who was there all the time.
Prayer
Eternal Father, thank you for your love, revealed to us in Jesus. We pray that we feel your presence strongly in our lives today, and that we will be attentive to your voice. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Study by Dennis Payne
About the writer:
Dennis Payne is a Deacon in the Central London congregation of Grace Communion International.
Local congregation:
Grace Communion International Central London
Indian YMCA Student Hostel
Mahatma Gandhi Hall
41 Fitzroy Square
London
W1T 6AQ
Meeting time:
Saturday 2:00pm
Local congregational contact:
Barry Robinson
Email: london@gracecom.church
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church