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A humbled and open heart is fertile soil for God’s seeds of wisdom. Establishing deeper roots requires analyzing God’s word to discover truths, values, and lessons for application to our lives. Periodically, a scripture or passage calls for further exploration, like Genesis 35:1-7.
Then God said to Jacob, “Get ready and move to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau.”
2 So Jacob told everyone in his household, “Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing. 3 We are now going to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.”
4 So they gave Jacob all their pagan idols and earrings, and he buried them under the great tree near Shechem. 5 As they set out, a terror from God spread over the people in all the towns of that area, so no one attacked Jacob’s family.
6 Eventually, Jacob and his household arrived at Luz (also called Bethel) in Canaan. 7 Jacob built an altar there and named the place El-bethel (which means “God of Bethel”), because God had appeared to him there when he was fleeing from his brother, Esau.
Genesis 35:1-7 NLT
Our Deeper Roots passage in Genesis shows that there are seasons when we have to withstand correction before we see the promise. Our scripture selection begins after some of Jacob’s sons have slaughtered people because of the defilement of their sister, Dinah. It’s after the massacre at Shechem that God speaks to Jacob with clear instructions. God tells Jacob to return to the location of the promise and build an altar. So Jacob tells his family to get rid of all of their idols and he buries them there. Then, they travel to Luz (Bethel) so that he could build an altar to God.
It’s clear that Jacob’s family was drifting away from God’s instructions. They mixed with locals, lied, and killed people. They had allowed idols into their hearts and gave physical items more importance than God. When God instructed Jacob to head back to Bethel, Jacob knew they were headed onto Holy ground and that idols had no place there. He gathered all the idols and jewelry from his family and buried them there in Shechem. Then Jacob and his family safely made the journey to Luz to complete the instructions that God had given him.
There will be seasons that we have to endure correction in order to walk into the promise of God. There are times that we make idols of things that we know that we shouldn’t. There are times that we allow feelings and our wants or desires to pull us into situations that leave us vulnerable to attack. This passage shows that correction, the releasing of idols and other distractions, is necessary. We should never shy away from correcting areas where we are living against the word of God. It may be the very thing hindering us from crossing fully into the promise of God. Don’t be afraid of correction. The Bible says that God corrects those He loves. Let it be an encouragement to withstand the correction in order to walk into the promise.
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I know that most people are in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the season, but December always reminds me to slow down and reflect. It’s something about the cold weather that forces me to cozy up and sit still… I believe the stillness opens
With a little over 30 days left in the year, it’s easy to put a pin in new ideas or projects until the new year. As tempting as enjoying the pause may be, there are some things that we have been called to do that require our action now. Spiritual callings require our steadfast attention, not temporary devotion when our schedules allow. In this season, the Lord has been challenging me to finish well.
In a culture that values purpose and spiritual gifting, it’s interesting how quickly we toss them to the side when we’re fatigued or distracted. We yield to the flesh instead of the Holy Spirit’s guidance. We abandon how we show up out of convenience; missing opportunities to share the Gospel or be the hands and feet of Christ. Simply put, we fail to finish well.
El Roi. The God who sees me. When we talk about Hagar, we often refer to this tender exchange. This exact moment in the wilderness when she encounters God… when she accepts correction and instruction to return to a tense situation… when she receives the promise concerning the son in her womb… when she recognizes that she is seen and known by name. Yes, this is a pivotal moment, marked with such a significant name, and as I began to walk through Hagar’s story, to be seen, is so much deeper than watching someone visually.
“Are you going to try for another one?”
The ink on our marriage certificate wasn’t even dry before people began to ask when my husband and I were planning on having children. This seemingly innocent question was often met with ‘we don’t know’ outwardly, but inwardly it reinforced the shame of not being able to conceive a child.
I am the one in four.
If you or someone close to you is in need, we would be honored to lift you up in prayer. We believe in the power of prayer to bring peace, comfort, and reassurance during times of hardship. Our community is ready to join together and pray as we trust in God’s love and unending grace.
