Wake Up

He was running for his life.

With the help of his mother, he had just secured the lion’s share of his father’s estate – right under the nose of his brother, the rightful beneficiary. Jacob had good reason to run – his angry sibling, Esau, was a very skilled hunter. Jacob had a target on his back…
Nightfall came, and Jacob found himself in a remote location. All alone. A rock for a pillow.

Questions: What range of emotions do you suppose he was experiencing that night? Think it was easy to fall asleep? How do you relate to Jacob? How alone do you feel? What or who is pursuing you? What fears keep you awake at night?

Jacob drifted off to sleep. At some point in his slumber, he had a vivid dream of a staircase extending from where he was all the way to heaven. He could see angels ascending and descending – this was some sort of portal joining heaven and earth.

Questions: What connection might exist between Jacob’s state of mind as he drifted off to sleep and the capacity for God to break through to him? What does our level of desperation do to our receptivity of God’s revelation?

Before he could wake himself up and wonder what sort of mushrooms could have caused such a dream, the vision’s weirdness factor increased exponentially: God appeared and spoke to Jacob. God’s words to him were promises – that he would come back and own this place; that his descendants would be innumerable; and that all the people on earth would be blessed through Jacob. And – here’s the whopper – that God would be with Jacob wherever he went, never leaving him alone, to make sure the promises were fulfilled.

Note that dreams were taken extremely seriously back then as a primary vehicle for the divine to speak to mortals – this was a big deal. Also, the reigning thought of the day was that gods were regional, and needed to be appeased to insure their region-specific blessing. God’s statement that he would be with Jacob wherever he went required a massive paradigm shift for Jacob – this God was powerful on a global scale.

Questions: What did it mean for Jacob that this globally present God was going to create an incredible future for him? What affect would it have on Jacob for him to know that God would be constantly with him? These same truths have been communicated to us by Jesus. So, what do God’s promise and presence do for you?

Jacob woke up. He really woke up. He realized the message of the dream and its powerful implications for his life and future. His response was to worship. With his mouth he declared the truth of God’s revelation. Then he made a make-shift altar, a common worship practice of his era. Then he made a vow to be materially generous toward God as God blessed him.

Questions: What motivated Jacob’s worshipful response toward God? Why was it important for him to speak the truth with his lips, to make an altar, and to commit himself to God tangibly? What motivates your worship? How do you worship with your lips, your actions, and your resources? Have you awakened to God’s revelation yet? How? When? Where? What did it do to you?

Benediction. As you struggle with life’s challenges, may you discover that you are not as alone as you think you are. May you have eyes to see and ears to hear God’s presence all around you. May you be receptive to God’s promise. May you wake up and begin living differently, in worshipful response to the God who will never let you go.

Source of Story: Genesis 28:10-22.

Audio Download Link: http://www.onlinefilefolder.com/index.php?action=getshare&type=0&user_num=43737&share_id=226303&hash=dcd4c18dbca48bd6bf4dfce3617242d1