Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Vision from the Valley

Photo: Vision Night prep for this coming Sunday.

Thought for the Day

Genesis 28:10-17
And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. (11) And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. (12) And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. (13) And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; (14) And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. (15) And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. (16) And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. (17) And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.


Have you ever experienced the restlessness of God in your life? If you have then you full well understand the concept of your pillow being "a stone". No physical event or object can satisfy or bring solitude, even those things that are so typically depended upon. I think it is the mercy of God that brings us to the place of these restless times. They are not something we would seek or in any way desire. Jacob called it a "dreadful place"; but nonetheless, it was the "house of God". It was the place of God's choosing to meet with Him.

It is in these kind of times that God releases His vision for us, for our lives, for our future. Jacob was blessed with seeing the reality of the eternal, and God's plan to give Him a possession. And the best part of all was that the Lord would be with him every step of the way!

God has brought my life through many restless places, but during each one His presence has become clearer to me and more certain. Don't fight the restless times, don't try to assuage them with temporal comforts. Look to the Lord for expalnation and purpose as He unfolds His eternal vision for you.

Application

If you are experiencing unexplained restlessness in your life right now, consider for a moment that it may simply be God speaking. It may be His attempt to bring you to a point of desperation where only "He" makes sense. Seek Him today. Open your life up to Him completely and allow Him to reveal to you His chosen vision for your life. If you are uncertain of your relationship with God check out the link "How to Know God" at http://fbc301.org/#/Outreach/How to Know God.