"Surely God is in this place..."

This is what Jacob said after he had a mind-blowingly vivid dream of angels, heaven, and the surprising presence of God in the midst of heartache and trouble. More on that in a minute. This past Sunday (May 17; audio available HERE), we looked at Genesis 27.1-28.9 and Jacob's and Esau's heartbreakingly familiar relationships with their father, Isaac. Jacob was the bitter one, ready to stick it to his father and brother because of the way he had been excluded from his father's love. Esau was forever eager to please, the beloved son yes, but never knowing it, never hearing words of affirmation from his father, never knowing he was cherished, loved, approved by his Dad. What a surprising place to find the presence of God! God is at work in the midst of all that?!

And yet, maybe it's not so surprising after all. Because when look at the image Jesus paints of God, it is always as a loving, engaged, available, generous Father. Could God really be at work in the middle of all the hurt and heartache so many of us have when it comes to our relationships with our fathers? You bet -- 100% yes!

This Sunday, we will continue to look for and explore the surprising presence of God. As Jacob is now on the run for his life, sent away by his father, with only a rock for a pillow, God shows up in a powerful way. Jacob doesn't make a sudden turnaround and become a new person right then and there. He's still rather wary of God and somewhat iffy in his commitment. But Jacob has turned a corner and is now on the road to becoming the person God made him to be.

And in the final analysis, that's maybe the most we can say about anyone. Some may have been on this road a bit longer than others. But that doesn't matter, isn't the point. What matters is the surprising presence of the One who walks with us even when we're far from home; even when we're on the run from trouble, from pain, from heartache; even when all we have is a rock for a pillow. Even then, maybe especially then, we can say with Jacob, "Surely God is in this place, and I didn't know it!"

Join us online at www.nassagaweya.com to listen, or in person on Sunday morning at 10 am. Hope to see you soon!