GENESIS 28:16
"And Jacob
awaked. . . .and he said, Surely the LORD is in this
place; and I knew it not."
In some ways, we can view Jacob as a coward. His
mother had spoiled him. He was a "mamma’s boy." He ran
away from all the confusion he caused by pretending to
be Esau. Therefore, he received his father’s blessing--a
blessing that belonged to his brother. His mother’s
advice was dishonest. It was based on pretense and
deceit. Yet, God used it. Escaping from angry Esau,
Jacob ran back to the land of his mother’s nativity.
On his way to Uncle Laban’s tent, he had an
experience with the true God--something that his father,
Isaac, and especially his grandfather Abraham, often
had. There on the hard cold ground, with only a stone
for a pillow, Jacob met the True God. He was promised to
own the very land upon which he slept; and was told that
he would have myriads of descendants to carry on his
name. Besides all that, God told Jacob that He would be
with Jacob and keep him no matter where he journeyed.
Strange that in the morning, unbelieving Jacob made a
conditional dedication, of a sort, to the True God. He
said, "If God will be with me. . . ." Had not God just
promised, "I am with thee’? Yes, he had. How like Jacob
are we! We read in the Word of God, God’s promises to
us; and we immediately put a condition upon our belief!
(ysw)
"OURS ONLY BY ASKING"
GOD HAS CERTAIN BLESSINGS AND PROVISIONS THAT ARE
OURS ONLY BY ASKING IN PRAYER. APART FROM THE FACT THAT
GOD HAS TOLD US TO "ASK,"THERE IS A SWEET SUBMISSION AND
EXPECTANCY IN ASKING A SOVEREIGN GOD TO GRANT OUR
REQUESTS. "Ask largely that our joy may be full!
Let your requests be made known
and peace will guard your heart." (GGS)
And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And
he said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will
certainly return unto thee according to the time of
life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son.
And Sarah heard it in the tent door,
which was behind him.
(Genesis 18:10)
Under God's Care,
Yvonne S. Waite
