Today's Scripture Reading (October 9, 2024): Genesis 28
God met Jacob
where he was. The only thing that made that place special was that Jacob was
there and that Jacob was broken. And when we are broken, we are probably in the
place where we are most willing to hear the voice of God. I believe that part
of the loss of power that the North American Church seems to experience
regularly is because we are seldom broken. In fact, I think it is probably more
likely that we will find broken people in a bar rather than in a church. I also
believe God speaks more often to people in a bar than he does in a church. In a
bar, people are frequently ready to listen to what God has to say.
I like how "The Message" translates
the first two beatitudes. The Bible says that Jesus was drawing such large
crowds that one day, he decided to climb a hill with those who were committed
to him climbing with him. Then Jesus sat on the hillside and taught them, and
he began with a group of sayings that we call the beatitudes.
You're
blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of
God and his rule. You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to
you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you (Matthew 5:3-4)
Often, we
hear Jesus's words as he starts his "Sermon on the Mount," but we don't
understand those words with our hearts. Jacob would have understood Jesus's
sermon with his heart. He was living it. But to God, the situation of Jacob's
life didn't matter. What mattered was Jacob. And God came to where Jacob was.
God's message
hasn't changed. What matters to God is you. And God wants to meet you where you
are, in no particular place. The problem is that we often don't want to allow
God to meet us there. We don't want Him to see the mess we have made of our
lives. The problem is that it's not optional. More church-going people are kept
from living faithful Christian lives because they don't want to meet God in no particular
place where their lives are not just right.
Our message
is, "God, let me climb to you." But God's answer always stays the
same. You cannot get to where I am. But I can come to you. So, God went down
the stairway to meet Jacob at no particular place. And God stepped down out of
heaven and greeted the human race at a no particular place called Bethlehem and
Nazareth. And Jesus walked down out of heaven at no particular place to meet
with two disciples after his death on the road to a place called Emmaus.
And God wants
to meet you at no particular place. The place has never been essential; it has
always been you.
Tomorrow's
Scripture Reading: Genesis 29
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