July 8, 2021 — Is God Your God?

Lots of folks know that God is powerful, and preeminent, and praiseworthy, and so on. But the question is: do you know Him personally?

The story of Jacob continues with the words that begin Genesis 29, “So Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the East” (v 1). But the original here expresses a positive cheerfulness not seen in our translation. It might read: “And Jacob lifted up his feet, and he traveled to the land of the children of the east.” We speak about some event putting a spring into our step, and this encounter with God at Bethel did just that for Jacob. He no longer was looking forward with foreboding, but with anticipation. No need for Jacob to insert an “if” into God’s promise—“If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going…” (28:20), since God had just declared, “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go” (v 15). Nothing iffy about that! This is always a red-letter day in an individual’s life, when God becomes OUR God. The Lord had introduced Himself to Jacob by saying, “I am the Lord God of Abraham…and the God of Isaac” (v 13). Interestingly, God never called Himself “the God of Abraham” until Abraham was dead, or “the God of Isaac” until Isaac was dead. God doesn’t play favorites, but He does have intimates, those who make themselves available to Him for His friendship. Abraham and Isaac had done this. Now it was Jacob’s time. Very often those raised in Christian homes think of God as the God of their fathers, God as an idea, a doctrine, an argument to make to unbelievers. But MY God? This surely is one of the greatest discoveries anyone can make. These were Jacob’s very words: “the Lord shall be my God” (v 21). Can you pray this? Lord, I want you to be MY God, my personal Friend. And then live each day in the good of that life-transforming truth.

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